Russian Zvezda yard is continuing with the construction of LNG-powered MR-type product carriers for compatriot Sovmcoflot and Novatek.
The yard held a steel cutting ceremony for the third and final LNG-powered vessel in this batch on January 15, Sovcomflot said in a statement.
To remind, the Russian yard started building the first carrier in this trio in September last year followed by the second in November.
Following delivery in 2022, all of the vessels will serve a unit of Russian independent LNG producer Novatek under 20-year charter deals. The firm will use them to transport petroleum-based products and gas condensate.
Furhermore, the tankers will have a deadweight of around 50,000 tonnes, and will be over 180 metres long and 32 metres wide.
They will feature Ice Class 1B notation enabling them to navigate all year round in the ice conditions of the Baltic Sea.
The Zvezda shipyard is a large shipbuilding complex located in the town of Bolshoy Kamen in the Russian Far East. It is a run by a consortium consisting of Rosneftegaz, Rosneft, and Gazprombank.
The yard’s order portfolio currently stands at more than 50 vessels, according to Rosneft.
