A trio of three conventional ice-class LNG carriers are heading westbound through the Northern Sea Route following the channel of an ice-breaking LNG vessel moving ahead of them.

Eikland Energy data service iGIS/LNG said the 172,600-cbm Arc7 LNG carrier Eduard Toll (built 2017) is leading three less ice-class vessels — the 162,000-cbm Clean Vision (built 2016) along with the 161,800-cbm Clean Planet and the 161,881-cbm Clean Ocean (both built 2014).

The ice-breaking LNG carrier Eduard Toll was logged by iGIS/LNG as moving around 2.5 nautical miles ahead of the trio of Arc4 vessels with the small convoy moving at just over 11 knots.

All four vessels are in ballast.

The three Arc4 vessels are all owned by Greek shipowner Dynagas, which was an earlier mover on the NSR with its vessels. The ships are on long-term charters to Novatek-led Yamal Trade and are signalling the Yamal LNG plant as their destination.

Eikland Energy founder Kjell Eikland said it appears that the four ships are sailing in the channel cut recently by the 172,658-cbm Arc7 LNG carrier Vladimir Vize (built 2018) which is heading eastbound and out of the NSR with cargo from the Yamal LNG project.

Eikland said the westbound Arc4s are the first non-Arc7 LNG carriers moving on the NSR since the navigation season for exporting eastbound opened in June.

The 172,600-cbm Nikolay Yevgenov (built 2019) left the Sabetta terminal at the Novatek-led Yamal LNG plant on 15 June. The 60MW nuclear-powered ice-breaker Sibir (built 2021) was on hand to assist the vessel.

Russia has been trying to extend the sailing season for LNG carriers moving through the NSR which it wants to see open to year-round navigation from 2024.

In August the government has recently approved a new development plan for the NSR for the period through to 2035.

It is setting aside around RUB 1.8 trillion ($29bn) for its plans which include the renovation of ports, developing search and rescue capabilities along the route, building of ice-breakers and the development of Arctic shipbuilding and shiprepair facilities.