For the first time, Russia has built a unique high-ice tanker to export Russian LNG from the Arctic. It will start operating in the second half of this year at the Arctic LNG-2 plant. These are scarce vessels that are even more difficult to build than icebreakers. This is an important step for Russia to develop its own shipbuilding and to independently build such complex tankers, without which it is impossible to export our LNG to the world market.
The first ice-class tanker for liquefied natural gas (LNG) built in Russia will be commissioned in the second half of this year at the Arctic LNG-2 plant, the Sovcomflot tanker group announced.
These are technically sophisticated tankers, of which there are very few in the world, because until now the LNG plants were located in a warm climate. But Russia is implementing projects in the Arctic, and it needs just such extraordinary gas carriers.
Named after Soviet statesman Alexei Kosygin, an ice-class gas carrier is being built at the Russian shipyard Zvezda. Moreover, this tanker was already under US sanctions during construction, but this did not prevent it from starting sea trials at the end of last year. The final stage of testing is scheduled to begin at the end of June.
"If all the test parameters are achieved, there is every chance that the vessel will be put into operation in the second half of this year," Igor Tonkovidov, Director General of Sovcomflot, told Interfax.
We are talking about extremely rare Arc7 ice class gas carriers, which are needed to transport LNG specifically from Arctic projects. Such tankers can overcome ice up to 2 meters thick. Novatek has previously ordered 21 tankers of this Arc7 ice class, of which 15 are to be built at the Zvezda plant.
The lack of such gas carriers already built is one of the two main problems for the Arctic LNG 2 plant, the first stage of which was launched at the end of 2023, and the second in May 2025. The second problem to be solved is the sanctions imposed by the United States against this project. If the second problem cannot be solved yet, then it is necessary to solve at least the first one, says Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and the National Energy Security Fund (NWF).
"Until recently, global demand for such vessels was limited, since most LNG production projects were located in regions with a warm climate – Qatar, Australia and the United States, where there is no need for icebreaking tankers. It was only with the development of Arctic projects in Russia, such as Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG-2, that the need for specialized vessels increased dramatically.
However, even now their number remains small due to the high cost and complexity of construction," says Maxim Maksimov, Associate Professor at the Department of Innovation and Industrial Policy Management at the Russian University of Economics. Plekhanov.
"In fact, only Russia is launching LNG plants in the Arctic, and we are the only ones who need such Arctic7 class gas carriers. Canada has LNG plants, but they don't have as heavy an ice load as Novatek's Russian projects. There are icebreakers and gas carriers of the Arctic4 class in the world, and only 15 gas carriers of the Arctic7 class were built specifically for the Yamal LNG project, so they are in short supply," says the FNEB expert.
"The first 15 such gas carriers were built in South Korea, although the Russian leadership initially insisted on developing its own shipbuilding. However, Novatek, the owner of Yamal LNG, still got the opportunity to build them outside of Russia, since the Russian shipyard Zvezda was still under construction and did not have time to build gas carriers by the start of the project.
But the next order for 15 such gas carriers has already been placed on Zvezda, plus six tankers of this class were ordered again in South Korea. Novatek could not ignore the government's desire to develop its own shipbuilding industry, so it placed an order in Russia. The company also receives a lot from the state. The state is spending money on infrastructure, has built the Sabetta port (the port should belong to the state, but the shipping terminals in it may belong to private companies), an approach canal in the Gulf of Ob, and has also provided tax incentives for LNG plants, in particular a 12-year exemption from MET for gas and gas condensate and the absence of export duties," explains Yushkov.
According to him, initially it was said that the South Korean company would send ship sets to Zvezda, from which gas carriers would be assembled, but gradually localization would increase, and the Russian shipyard would learn how to build such tankers on its own.
"However, it is extremely difficult to master some elements in gas carriers, and it is still impossible to do without foreign contractors. For example, the main essence of a gas carrier is a membrane that holds LNG inside the hull. It is produced by literally several companies in the world, the world leader is a French company that provided Russia with this technology. We cannot master this technology at this stage.",
– says Yushkov.
"The construction of Arc7 ice–class tankers for LNG transportation is a technologically complex and expensive task, which explains their shortage compared to conventional gas carriers. The main reason lies in the specifics of the design of such vessels. Icebreaking gas carriers must withstand extreme Arctic conditions, which means that their hull requires special reinforcement capable of resisting the pressure of ice up to two meters thick. In addition, LNG is transported at a temperature of -162 °C, which imposes strict requirements on the storage system and thermal insulation of tanks. Another critical element is the engines. The engines must be powerful enough to ensure movement in the ice without the help of an icebreaker, but at the same time remain economical for long flights," says Maxim Maksimov.
"Russia knows how to build nuclear and diesel icebreakers on its own, but ice-class gas carriers are much more difficult to do. Two such vessels are being built in Russia, as they managed to bring ship sets from South Korea, plus, after their installation, the French company managed to install all the necessary membrane equipment. But we are not yet able to assemble an Arc7 class gas carrier on our own from start to finish," says Yushkov.
Nevertheless, the very fact that Russia will have experience in building such gas carriers is already a victory. "Before the project was implemented at the Zvezda shipyard, the country had no experience in creating such complex vessels. The main difficulty was the need to master a whole range of new technologies, each of which required the highest accuracy and specialized knowledge. Special difficulties arose when welding special steels capable of maintaining strength in extreme Arctic conditions, where the metal is simultaneously exposed to ultra-low temperatures and mechanical stresses from ice fields. An equally important task was the development of ice navigation systems that allow ships to independently overcome ice masses without constant escort by icebreakers," says Maximov.
After the sanctions were imposed, it became clear that we need to learn how to build such vessels ourselves. Therefore, Zvezda has been turned into a key platform for the development of Russian Arctic shipbuilding. "This project was not only of commercial, but also of strategic importance, as it made it possible to ensure the independence of critical transport routes along the Northern Sea Route. Government support played a crucial role in the implementation of such a large-scale initiative, as significant investments were required not only in the construction of the shipyard itself, but also in the training of qualified personnel, the development of new technologies and the creation of related infrastructure," says Maximov.
"Financial and organizational assistance from the state made it possible to overcome the technological gap in a short time and create production facilities capable of producing world-class vessels. As a result, the project for the construction of icebreaking gas carriers at Zvezda has become a vivid example of the successful implementation of the import substitution strategy in one of the most technologically complex industries," the expert concludes.
As for the second problem of the Arctic LNG-2 project, sanctions, it is important to demonstrate to potential buyers, primarily China, the profitability of purchasing LNG from this project: first, it is a lower price, and secondly, large volumes (13.2 million tons of LNG that can be produced by two stages of the plant)., concludes Yushkov.
Olga Samofalova
