Dredging ship Nordic Giant and pontoon Arctic Scradeway operate under the flag of Russia
The Arbitration Court of the Murmansk Region ordered to seize Russian-flagged ships owned by Boskalis (the Netherlands), according to the court ruling published on the portal of arbitration cases.
“To satisfy the request for interim measures of protection filed by Arctic LNG 2, LLC. To seize the following vessels: Nordic Giant dredger and Arctic Scradeway pontoon,” reads the court ruling.
Harbour Master of Great Port of Saint-Petersburg is ordered by the court not to undertake any registration acts involving the abovementioned vessels. The seized property is handed over by the court to Onego Shipping, LLC. Arctic LNG 2 is to file an action for damages by 25 July 2022.
According to the materials, Boskalis has not been executing its obligations for two months with the vessels located in the water area of the Kola Bay (sea port of Murmansk).
On 4 March 2022, Boskalis suspended its activities without any explanations or notifications. Having left its vessels in the port of Murmansk, the company gave a notice of unilateral termination of works on development of the bottom foundation for the LNG train, says the document.
According to the agreement signed by Arctic LNG 2 and Boskalis in 2018, the contractor undertakes designing and manufacture of three gravity-based foundation structures for the Arctic LNG 2 project.
When speaking at the 5th International Congress “Hydraulic Engineering Structures and Dredging” held by PortNews Media Group in Moscow in February 2022, Eduard Silantiev, Executive Director of Boskalis in Russia, said that foreign companies operating in the Russian market started transferring their dredging ships to the flag of Russia with Boskalis being among the first ones. “We operate four Russian-flagged ships: dredging ship Nordic Giant, two barges and Arctic Scradeway, a ship for underwater gravel leveling under construction in Murmansk,” he said.
After Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine, foreign states imposed sanctions on Russian companies and individuals. The fifth package of sanctions adopted by the EU in April includes an entry ban on Russian-flagged vessels to EU ports.
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