Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest shipping company held a naming ceremony on Monday at STX Offshore & Shipbuilding shipyard in South Korea celebrating their new ice-class LNG carrier, “Velikiy Novgorod”.
“Velikiy Novgorod” and her sister vessel “Pskov”, which is due for delivery in September 2014, were ordered by Sovcomflot to transport LNG for Gazprom under long term charter contracts. They will become the fifth and sixth vessel in the energy company’s fleet.
“Gazprom is pursuing a stage wise strategy in the LNG production and supply sector. As part of these efforts, we are creating our own tanker fleet capable of shipping LNG to any terminal of the world, as well as along the Northern Sea Route,” Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee said during the ceremony, according to the company’s web site. “The Velikiy Novgorod and Pskov tankers allow Gazprom to increase the scope of its trading operations and enhance its positions in the global LNG market.”
“Velikiy Novgorod” is a gas carrier with membrane cargo tanks and a cargo capacity of 170.200 cubic meters. It is equipped with a diesel-electric drive, which can be fueled by LNG, fuel oil or gasoil. The vessel is certified as Ice2 class vessel and can ship cargoes in low-temperature conditions, including via the Northern Sea Route during the navigation period in the open water.
