Russia’s First Locally Built LNG Carrier Begins Sea Trials, Bolstering Arctic Shipping Capacity
Russia’s First Locally Built LNG Carrier Begins Sea Trials, Bolstering Arctic Shipping Capacity
Russia has achieved a milestone in its domestic shipbuilding with the completion of the Aleksey Kosygin, the nation’s first LNG carrier built at the Zvezda shipyard near Vladivostok. The vessel, equipped for Arctic operations, began sea trials on December 25. While constructed in Russia, significant components were manufactured in South Korea.
The Aleksey Kosygin will serve the Arctic LNG 2 project, Russia’s key liquefied natural gas initiative. This project has faced numerous delays, exacerbated by Western sanctions, leaving its majority owner, Novatek, struggling to secure ice-capable vessels for winter operations.
The Arctic LNG 2 fleet was originally envisioned as 21 Arc7 LNG carriers, designed for year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route. These carriers feature advanced icebreaking capabilities, allowing them to traverse ice up to 1.7 meters thick. However, none of these vessels were delivered as planned, complicating the project’s logistics.
The Aleksey Kosygin, scheduled to enter service in early 2025, was partly constructed by South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), which built the hull and critical components before towing them to Zvezda in 2021 for final assembly. European companies, including MAN and Wärtsilä, provided propulsion systems, while French firm GTT supplied gas membranes.
SHI had initially contracted to deliver 15 hulls, but escalating sanctions led to the cancellation of this agreement after delivering only five. The second LNG carrier, Pyotr Stolypin, is expected to follow soon, though its completion, like the remaining three hulls, remains uncertain due to Western companies ceasing operations in compliance with sanctions.
Russia is working to develop its own technology to reduce reliance on Western partners. Segezha Group, a Russian firm, has already developed and certified its tanker plywood for membrane insulation, which could support the completion of the remaining Arc7 vessels. Experts believe this development may help mitigate future disruptions in Russia’s shipbuilding efforts.
