Construction begins on Arctic tanker series

The 248m vessels, which will provide crude oil transportation from the Gulf of Ob. are designed for operation in high latitudes with temperatures as low as -42°. They are being built to dual Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) and Lloyd’s Register class.

Delivery of the first ship is scheduled for late June 2016, with the series to be completed the following year. All six ships of the series will be named after famous Russian explorers of the Arctic, including participants in the Great Northern Expedition of the eighteenth century.

RS noted in a statement that its participation in the project was a natural follow-up to its involvement in the construction of several high-tech ships Korean shipyards since opening its design and newbuilding support centre in Busan in March 2012. These include a series of LPG gas carriers with capacity of 20,600m3 and large LNG carriers with membrane cargo tanks of 170,000m3.

The organisation noted: “At present, a series of Arctic LNG carriers capable of operating at temperatures as low as –50 ̊ С and unassisted breaking of ice up to 2.1m thick is being built in the Korea under the RS survey within the frames of Yamal LNG – a major Russian LNG production project implemented in the Arctic.”

As reported, the icebreaking gas carriers will also be classed by Bureau Veritas.