GTT Wins LNG Tank Order from Russia's Zvezda Yard
French LNG tech firm GTT has won an order from the Zvezda shipyard in the Russian Far East for tank designs for five Arc7 ice-breaking LNG carriers (LNGCs) on behalf of a Russian ship-owner, it said on July 3.
This is the first order GTT has received since signing a technical assistance and licence agreement with Zvezda. The vessels will be used to export LNG from the Novatek-led Arctic LNG-2 project, due on stream in 2023. Each ship will have a 172,600-m3 capacity and will be fitted with Mark III membrane containment systems.
"This is the result of a long-time effort which began more than ten years ago to adapt GTT technologies to Arctic conditions, where LNGCs are now operating without difficulty," GTT said, adding that the vessels' delivery was planned between the first and final quarters of 2023.
Zvezda is managed by a joint venture between state-owned enterprises Rosneftegaz, Rosneft and Gazprombank. The yard was established as part of efforts to reduce Russia's reliance on foreign shipbuilders, particularly in the oil and gas sector.