Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex and Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (the Republic of Korea) signed the contract for the design of gas-carriers for Arctic LNG 2 project during the 5th Eastern Economic Forum, Rosneft says in a press release.
According to the signed document, Samsung Heavy Industries will become technology partner of the project and hand over the technical specifications and the design documentation of the project to Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex. The Korean company will also provide assistance in developing working design documentation to Lazurit central design bureau.
The Arctic LNG carriers to be built by Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex will meet all the requirements of the Russian Federation regulations which allow determining ships as Russian.
In 2018, PJSC Novatek confirmed a reservation of Zvezda production capacities for the whole set of gas carriers for the Arctic LNG 2 project. In April 2019, Zvezda and Sovcomflot signed the contract for the construction of a pilot gas carrier for the Arctic LNG 2 project.
For the first time in history, the construction of the vessel of this type will be carried out by a Russian shipyard. It should be noted that the USSR had not manufactured such vessels and had been purchasing them abroad for many years.
The vessel’s design allows it to individually pull through the ice of up to 2.1 metres thick. The capacity of the gas carrier’s power station is 45 MW which is comparable to the capacity of a nuclear icebreaker.
These Arctic LNG carriers feature increased environmental safety; in particular, they use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as their primary fuel.
Zvezda Shipyard is established at the Far Eastern Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Centre (FESRC) by the Rosneft-led Consortium. Zvezda will produce heavy tonnage ships, offshore platform elements, ice-class vessels, special vessels, and other marine equipment.
Rosneft signed an exclusive agreement with Zvezda Shipyard on placing all of the Company’s orders for the construction of new marine equipment and vessels and agreed upon design, construction, and supply contracts for 28 vessels.
Samsung Heavy Industries has great experience and expertise in the design and construction of LNG carriers and Arctic tankers. The company is a top-3 shipbuilder of South Korea.