Bureau Veritas to class Yamal LNG icebreakers

“We have made extensive investments in research into ice loads and navigation in ice, working with major Russian institutions and Asian shipyards,” says Philippe Donche-Gay, evp and head of BV’s Marine and Offshore Division. “This effort, coupled with our world-leading expertise in large LNG carriers gives us a strong technical base to class these highly sophisticated vessels.”

The vessels, capable of operating in ice up to 2.5 m thick, will carry will carry 172,000 cu m LNG in four membrane tanks. Yamal LNG has awarded Sovcomflot, MOL, Teekay and Dynagas one, three, six and five vessels respectively.

The Arc 7 ice-class vessels have BV’s winterisation notation COLD (-45,-52) means that the hull is prepared for operation in -45 celsius ambient temperature and the equipment should be able to work at -52 celsius. Meanwhile a double-acting design will allow the vessels to break heavy ice when navigating astern and navigate bow first in open sea.

Bureau Veritas’ IceSTAR tool is being used to assess the stresses caused by ice on the vessel’s hulls.