The project «Yamal LNG»: building of the first arctic gas carrier begins

Construction of the arctic gas carrier of «Sovcomflot» begins under technical supervision of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. The ship is being built within the large-scale Russian project on production of liquefied natural gas «Yamal LNG» being fulfilled in the Arctic.

The steel cutting ceremony for the pilot vessel took place at the shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in South Korea. The head of the representational office of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping in the Republic of Korea Alexander Yagodyn participated in the event together with representatives of JSC «Sovcomflot».
Construction of ultramodern gas carriers for Yamal LNG is a new milestone in development of not only Russian classification society but also the entire marine industry. Such powerful gas carriers adapted to navigation in difficult ice conditions, are being built for the first time in the world practice. The ships are equipped with three propulsion units of Azipod type with capacity of 15000 kilowatt each, what is comparable with power of nuclear icebreakers and allow them to transport gas along the Northern Sea Route. The principle of double action in heavy ice conditions allows selecting moving stern first as the basic mode and overcoming solid ice fields up to 2.1 meters thick.
On the first stage it is supposed to build ten ships of this project, in total the number of vessels in the series should make fifteen. It is planned to input the first ship to operation in June of 2016, as it is reported to IA «Sever-Press» in the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
The project «Yamal LNG» foresees creation of the complex of technical means for extracting and processing of hydrocarbons, and also well-developed transport infrastructure based on the South-Tambey gas condensate field. Organization of efficient and safe transportation of gas in difficult ice conditions along the Northern Sea Route is one of key issues for successful development of this project.