The Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex has commenced the construction of the third LNG carrier tanker of the ARC 7 ice class. The first part of the new ship was cut in the hull production unit using a high-tech plasma-cutting machine. The production of this type of vessels, a unique event for Russian shipyards, is one of the priority areas of the production programme of the Zvezda Shipyard.
The gas carriers are built in interests of PJSC Novatek for the Arctic LNG 2 project. The project to build the new vessels is financed by VEB.RF. The Zvezda Shipyard and the companies of the VEB.RF Group signed contracts for the construction of 15 gas carrier vessels for liquefied gas transportation in complicated ice conditions of the Northern Sea Route. The tankers will be used for long-term time charter contracts between Sovcomflot Group (for the pilot gas carrier), SMART LNG LLC (a subsidiary of Sovcomflot Group and Novatek, for the other 14 ships in the series) and Arctic LNG 2 LLC (a subsidiary of Novatek).
Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex is the first shipyard in Russia to implement a project to construct such vessels. Liquefied gas tankers of ice-class Arc7 are designed to transport liquefied natural gas and can perform in severe climate conditions. The length of the vessel is 300 m, width 48.8 m, capacity of cargo tanks 172,600 m3. These vessels feature increased environmental safety; they use liquefied natural gas as their primary fuel.
The gas carrier’s design allows it to individually pull through the ice of up to 2 m thick. The capacity of the gas carrier’s power station is 45 MW. The ship is equipped with three unique steerable thrusters whose production is localised in Bolshoy Kamen at the Sapphire Steerable Thrusters Plant, a joint venture of Rosneft and GE.
A distinctive feature of the gas carriers is the Mark III membrane-type LNG storage system, a licence to which the shipyard was also the first in the country to obtain.
