Earlier, SSK Zvezda repeatedly postponed the delivery date of the vessel.
The Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex (SSK Zvezda, Bolshoy Kamen, Primorsky Krai) postponed the delivery of the lead tanker of the Arc7 ice class for NOVATEK‘s Arctic LNG–2 project to the beginning of 2025.
Another tanker is planned to be delivered during the first quarter, and the third — by the end of 2025, Kommersant writes, citing unnamed sources. According to analysts cited by the publication, Arc7 tankers may be needed this winter if the company finds buyers for cargoes of the sanctioned project. It is noted that shipments from the first liquefaction line of Arctic LNG–2 began in August 2024. At the same time, difficulties with the sale of products are associated with the refusal of buyers to take cargo, as well as with the shortage of tanker fleet. “So far, only eight shipments from the project are known, and none of the batches have yet reached the final consumer. Most of the shipments were transferred to floating storage facilities,“ the report says.
In total, NOVATEK has contracted 21 ice-class Arc7 tankers to export LNG from the Arctic LNG–2 project. Zvezda Shipyard is building 15 of them. Zvezda reported that three tankers — “Alexey Kosygin“, “Pyotr Stolypin“ and “Sergei Witte“ — were launched. According to Kommersant, there is a possibility that the third tanker, the Sergei Witte, may be commissioned by the end of 2025, the completion dates for subsequent tankers have not yet been determined.
As reported by PortNews IAA, contracts for the construction of 15 Arctic gas carriers of the Arc7 ice class intended for the export of cargo from the Arctic LNG 2 plant were concluded in December 2019 — July 2020. The shipyard began cutting metal for the lead vessel of the series in November 2020. Initially, the completion of the construction of the lead tanker was expected in the first quarter of 2023, but in September 2022 it became known that the deadline had been postponed to the end of 2023. At that time, it was assumed that 6-7 tankers would be received by the end of 2024. Then it was reported that the deadline for the delivery of the lead tanker was shifted to 2024.
The vessels are designed for year-round transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the waters of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), including its eastern sector. The tankers will have higher ice penetration and maneuverability compared to the first generation of Arctic gas carriers. The length of the new series of gas carriers will be 300 m, width — 48.8 m, cargo capacity — 172.6 thousand cubic meters. The propulsion system includes three screw-steering columns with a total capacity of 45 MW
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