Joint ventures from the two companies have ordered three 172,000 cu m Arc-7 ice-class LNG carriers at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).
The vessels are part of an expected fleet of 16 ice-class LNG carriers for the Yamal LNG project in Russia’s Far North.
In total 16 slots for the vessels were secured at DSME in August 2013. “The signing by other owner of remaining carriers required for Yamal LNG fleet will be made in Russia,” MOL said in a statement.
The vessels will be designed to operate in ambient temperatures of up to minus 50°C and independent navigation in ice more than 2.1 m thick. The first train from the Yamal plant is expected to come onstream in 2017.
A seaport is to be constructed at Sabetta with LNG shipped westbound in the winter, and in the summer eastbound utilising the Northern Sea Route (NSR). The LNG carriers are set to spur the development of the NSR, which has attracted increasing attention over the last few years as a shorter, alternative route to Asia as summer ice in the Arctic recedes.
“MOL will bring to the project its 130 years of first class and reliable navigation experience and through this new undertaking will develop its know-how and resources needed for ship operation on Northern Sea Route, which should further enhance and expand MOL’s ocean transport services,” MOL said.
Once fully operational an LNG cargo is expected to be loaded every 38 hours at Yamal LNG all year round.
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