The construction of 15 Arctic serial gas tankers is ongoing at the Zvezda shipyard. The first five vessels are intended for Arctic LNG-2. In Russia, there is a degree of contention surrounding their commissioning, particularly in regard to whether this will enable the project to operate at full capacity and overcome Western sanctions.

At the 14th International Forum The Arctic: Today and the Future, Nikita Melnik, Deputy Head of the Civil Shipbuilding Department of Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade assured that the construction of the first five LNG carriers for the Arctic LNG 2 project at the Zvezda shipyard is a top priority. It is emphasised that they are nearing 90 per cent completion.

Speaking about the capacity of Russian shipyards to construct large-capacity vessels, the official  acknowledged that currently, civilian orders are exclusively being fulfilled at the Zvezda shipyard in Primorsky Krai. "Large-capacity vessels can also be built at shipyards such as Admiralty Shipyards and Severnaya Shipyard [Severnaya Verf], but at present, they are fully occupied with state defense orders," he noted.

In May 2022, Leonid Mikhelson, Chairman of the Management Board of NOVATEK, announced plans to commission the lead domestic LNG carrier in March 2023.

However, in September of last year, a naming ceremony was held for this tanker, which was christened Alexey Kosygin in the presence of the President of Russia.

To date, the Zvezda shipyard has officially launched three tankers for Arctic LNG 2: Alexey Kosygin, Pyotr Stolypin, and Sergey Witte. Work is ongoing to assemble the hulls of two additional vessels. Most of the equipment for these ships was supplied by South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).

A distinctive feature of these ships is their LNG storage system based on the Mark III membrane type, with Zvezda obtaining a construction license after passing an audit by French engineering company Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT).

Head of the Gecon consulting center Mikhail Grigoryev points out that GTT issued licenses for equipment only for two vessels, Alexey Kosygin and Sergey Witte. Subsequently, the company refused to work with the Zvezda after the shipyard came under sanctions.

Source: Morvesti

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