A first Russian-built, ice-breaking LNG carrier and an aframax newbuilding have been named at the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex, with Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the event.
Sovcomflot’s 172,600-cbm Alexey Kosygin is the first of 15 Arc7 LNG carriers ordered to serve the Novatek-led, under-construction Arctic LNG 2 project in the Russian Arctic.
The other 14 were contracted by Novatek-Sovcomflot joint venture Smart LNG.
The shipowner and gas company teamed with South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries on the ships, with SHI to build the hulls and float them over to Zvezda for outfitting. But to date, just five hulls have been delivered with the agreement on the remaining 10 now looking set to be cancelled.
This first LNG carrier is named after former Soviet statesman and premier Alexei Nikolaevich Kosygin.
The ceremony also included the naming of the 69,000-dwt aframax tanker newbuilding Valentin Pikul.
Both vessels are capable of breaking two-metre thick ice.
In his speech, Putin spoke about how both ships can operate at extremely low temperatures, in harsh climatic conditions, move through ice and transport large volumes of oil and gas.
He said: “The development of such a fleet is of great importance for our country.”
He added that it is in line with Russia’s “long-term strategy for the development of the Arctic, to ensure reliable transportation on the Northern Sea Route, on global transport and logistics routes, to strengthen the energy security of our country, and the whole world”.
Putin said the ceremony marked “a significant event for Russian shipbuilding and for the country’s transport industry”.
Speaking to Zvezda employees, he said the yard’s team have had to solve new important problems, including increasing the “localisation of production and the widespread use of domestic developments and solutions”.
Among those attending the naming ceremonies were Rosneft chief executive Igor Sechin and the general director of the Zvezda facility, Sergei Tseluiko.
The Kremlin did not detail the names of officials from Sovcomflot.
The Zvezda yard in the city of Bolshoi Kamen is now the largest shipbuilding complex in Russia.
It was built by a consortium of investors led by Rosneft, the Kremlin said, opening in 2016.
Since the yard started operations, 12 vessels have been launched and four aframax tankers delivered.
The yard boasts an order backlog of some 60 vessels.
