Russia's largest shipping company also signed an mou with Gazprom Marketing and Trading for a future charter that provides for the construction of up to 13 enhanced versions of the 170,000 cu m Vilikiy Novgorod design, dubbed the "Gaz Ice" class.
The new vessels will expand and advance on the current fleet, comprising of the Velikiy Novgorod and Pskov, with slow-speed dual-fuel engines replacing diesel electric systems and improved hull shapes allowing for operation in any ice conditions without increasing fuel consumption in open water.
The Gaz Ice vessels will have an Arc 4 ice class, allowing them to take the Northern Sea Route during the summer period.
"Expanding Sovcomflot participation in LNG transportation is one of the priority targets in our company's development strategy. Today, the SCF fleet includes six LNG tankers and a further six carriers have been ordered and are currently under construction at the world's leading shipyards," commented Sergey Frank, president of SCF.
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