Ice navigation. Recommendations were developed for gas tankers of “Yamal LNG”

Development of the South-Tambey field by “Yamal LNG” is the world’s largest integrated project on extraction, liquefaction and sea transportation of liquefied natural gas in arctic conditions. Large-tonnage icebreaking gas tankers with strengthened ice class are used for LNG transportation. They allow fulfilling the year-round transportation of gas in the western direction through the Kara Sea without icebreaking support. In summer-autumn navigation LNG transportation can be fulfilled in the eastern direction on the Northern Sea Route.

For the project it is planned to build 15 double-acting gas tankers with the capacity 170 thousand cubic meters. The ships can be exploited independently in difficult ice conditions in the mode of sternway (stern forward). The company “DSME” is busy with building of the gas tankers. The largest ship-owing companies such as “Sovcomflot”, “MOL LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd” and “Teekay Gas” will exploit them. The Central Research and Design Institute of the Marine Fleet actively participated in development of the concept of sea transportation of gas and the project of the gas tanker. As it is noted in the press-service of the establishment, providing of exploitation security of large-tonnage gas tankers in difficult arctic conditions is one of the main tasks that define success of fulfillment of the given project. For the first time in the world practice the Institute, in conformity with the Rules of the shipping register, developed recommendations for the gas tankers of the company MOL LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd on admissible conditions of ice navigation at motion of a ship bow and stern forward from joint providing of strength of the ship’s hull and propulsive system. These recommendations were successfully tested in the process of the ice experimental trip of the gas tanker “Vladimir Rusanov” fulfilled this year in February-March. Confirmation of specification characteristics of the ship in ice conditions was the basic aim of the trip. The shipyard “DSME” conducted the test. Representatives of “Yamal LNG” and the Central Research and Design Institute of the Marine Fleet participated in it. The process of the test confirmed high technical and exploitation characteristics of the ship in ice conditions and effectiveness of the concept of the double-acting gas tanker, which is able to operate independently in heavy ice of the Kara Sea in the modes of motion of a ship bow and stern forward. In the course of the trip the representatives of the company “Yamal LNG” fulfilled the big amount of observations and their analysis that allowed developing recommendations on improvement of operation effectiveness of the ship, including overcoming of areas with ice hummocks and etc. The received information has important significance for increase in effectiveness and security of exploitation of large-tonnage double-acting ships in ice conditions and also for designing of new modern icebreaking tankers and gas tankers for transportation of hydrocarbons from the arctic shelf.