A second Arc7 LNG carrier is taking the Northern Sea Route (NSR) to Asia in what is considered an early move into the Arctic sea passage.
The 172,600-cbm Vladimir Voronin (built 2019) left Yamal LNG’s Sabetta terminal with a cargo, Russian sources said.
The vessel is accompanied by Russian nuclear icebreaker the 23,439-gt 50 Let Pobedy (built 2007).
Last week, Sovcomflot (SCF Group)’s 172,600-cbm Christophe de Margerie (built 2017) headed into the NSR with a Yamal cargo in what is one of the earliest commercial shipments of LNG through the Arctic.
Previously, the first LNG shipments have left at least six weeks later, in June or early July. Ice conditions are described as mild this year but the shipments are also seen as trials of capabilities the Arc7 fleet of LNG carriers designed for Yamal.
Ice-breaker escort
The Christophe de Margerie is being escorted by the 23,000-gt nuclear-powered icebreaker Yamal (built 1992). But the Yamal is only backup for the ice-breaking LNG carrier and will take the lead on the route only if ice is encountered which the LNG carrier cannot handle.
The LNG export project’s flagship Arc7 ice-breaking vessel is due to arrive at Tangshan in China on 11 June.
The vessels in Yamal’s 15-ship Arc7 LNG carrier fleet were designed to break up ice of 2.1-metres thick.
Yamal is just starting maintenance shutdowns of two of its three 5.5 million tonnes per annum production trains to upgrade the liquefaction units and improve their efficiencies. These were scheduled for the 12-day period from 21 May to 15 June
This may limit more immediate shipments through the NSR but Yamal LNG has said it will not affect its planned annual production.
