Russia’s First Ice-Class LNG Carrier Enters Sea Trials Amid U.S. Sanctions

The first Russian-built ice-class liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier has entered sea trials, marking a significant milestone in Russia’s efforts to increase its global LNG market share despite facing U.S. sanctions. The vessel, named Alexey Kosygin after a Soviet statesman, was constructed at the Zvezda shipyard and is set to join the fleet of ships serving Russia’s new Arctic LNG 2 plant.

However, the development of the Arctic LNG 2 plant has faced delays due to the sanctions imposed by the U.S. government over the conflict in Ukraine. The U.S. Treasury has also placed sanctions on the new vessel, which was ordered by Russia’s leading tanker group Sovcomflot and built at Zvezda, the country’s most advanced shipbuilding yard. Currently, the vessel is anchored near the Pacific port of Vladivostok, as per LSEG ship-tracking data.

Novatek, the majority owner of Arctic LNG 2, has announced plans to build 15 Arc7 ice-class tankers at the Zvezda shipyard. These tankers are specially designed to navigate through thick ice and transport LNG from Arctic projects. The ice-class tankers are equipped with double hulls and reinforced propellers to withstand the challenging Arctic conditions.

While the Alexey Kosygin is one of the three gas tankers built for Arctic LNG 2, additional vessels, including the Pyotr Stolypin and Sergei Witte, are also part of the project. Hanwha Ocean, formerly known as Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, was tasked with building six more Arc7 tankers, with three intended for Sovcomflot and three for Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. Unfortunately, the sanctions against Russia led to the cancellation of the three tankers ordered by Sovcomflot, as reported by Hanwha in regulatory filings last year.

Despite the challenges posed by U.S. sanctions, Russia remains committed to expanding its LNG capabilities and establishing a stronger presence in the global LNG market. The successful sea trials of the first ice-class LNG carrier represent a significant achievement for Russia’s energy sector and its ambitions in the Arctic region.

(Source: Reuters – Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; additional reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; editing by Barbara Lewis)