Feature 2 | ICE CLASS


the XIV St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee Alexey Miller and the Sovcomflot President and CEO Sergey Frank signed a co-operation agreement covering the seaborne transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Shtokman gas field. The Shtokman gas field is situated


in the central part of Russia’s offshore sector in the Barents Sea. The field’s C1 reserves make up 3.9 trillion m3


of gas


and 56 million tonnes of gas condensate, with 3.8 trillion m3


of gas and 53.3


million tonnes of gas condensate located within Gazprom’s licensed area. It is the world’s largest proven offshore gas field. On the 17 June 2011, Gazprom Global


LNG and SCF signed a long-term time charter for two ice-class LNG-carriers. The ship design will be an ‘Atlanticmax’ type carrier (capacity 170,000m3


and


tri-fuel diesel-electric propulsion), with RS Ice 2 class and winterisation enhancements,


and a reinforced


membrane cargo containment system. The vessels are to be constructed with dual RS and Lloyds Register (LR) class by STX and USC. The project will be multi-functioning: the ships will be able to operate between almost all existing LNG terminals, in particular, offering


year-round exports from


Russia’s first LNG project (Sakhalin 2) and from the Shtokman LNG project terminal. Yamal LNG is a Novatek corporate


project for the construction of the gas liquefaction plant in Yamal. The total amount of investments in the development of the Yamal gas fields was assessed by the Government experts in 2010 as US$220 – 260 billion over 25 years. About 20% of Russia’s LNG is accumulated in the Yamal peninsula, washed by the Kara Sea. The potential resource base in the area for LNG production is about 10 trillion m3 including Yamal LNG – 1.3 trillion m3 Designing and building vessels to


, .


meet the needs of these fields has also been a priority. “The company looked at different


types of vessels and came to the conclusion that the gas carrier of a


32


NSR The development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is also becoming more prominent with vessels now running trials over the route. Popravko comments on the type of vessels navigating it: “The expansion of


membrane type would be best suited to both projects. There are several reasons for this. 1) Vessels of a membrane type are of the optimal metacentric height so that the centre of gravity is situated relatively low. The lower the metacentric height of a vessel, the less the risk there is of rollover, in a situation where ice and snow becomes attached to the top of the carrier. 2) Membrane gas carriers provide the maximum forward visability, which is essential when navigating across ice and in ice-bound bays. 3) The construction price is relatively low in comparison with other types of gas carriers [SPB). 4] This type of vessel can be adapted by Russian shipbuilders in the short-term”, Popravko said. “Since a final investment decision has


not yet been reached on either project, there are no current orders for the vessels”, he added. Special design requirements of the


fields had led Sovcomflot to look at vessels that have a significant Arctic strength. “The Shtokman gas carrier is a conventional gas carrier with slight ice enhancement, 1C, but with significant winterisation features, including additional heating and insulation to enable the vessel to carry out work under low temperatures. “Te Yamal vessel will require a very


high ice class: Arc 7 class (Super Super 1 A). In addition, it is likely that the vessel will be equipped with two propulsion units of an Azipod type and a central propulsion shaft connected to a screw propeller. The vessel might also have an icebreaking stern. The hull will either follow a model similar to our existing vessels Mikhail Ulyanov or Vasiliy Dinkov, or it will have a conventional bulbous bow with ice-class. The decision will depend on whether the vessel will be used to cover relatively short distances or to carry gas to Europe,” Popravko said.


the NSR and the accompanying rise in cargo traffic requires the construction of a modern arctic


transportation


fleet. Such vessels should have ice enhancement of Arc4 and Arc5 class, and higher, depending on the time of the voyage and the particular route. The vessel propulsion systems should have a high capacity to be able to adjust to a wide range of velocity and power requirements. The vessels should match the requirements of the administration of the NSR, not least the need for the voyage to be self-sufficient. The vessels should be equipped with communication systems to cover the Inmarsat satellite system, where coverage is not available. The vessels should be of large enough tonnage to be economically viable.” “SCF has successfully tested the


Northern Sea Route during 2010 and 2011, with plans to conduct even more technically challenging tests in the coming years. To expand further the knowledge and understanding of the commercial case for the Northern Sea Route requires a long-term perspective to be taken, and a significant investment of time and resources. With developments in naval architecture, perhaps using lighter yet stronger materials in ship construction to increase cargo capacity and, subject to the prevailing ice conditions, larger vessels of up to 250,000 tonnes deadweight and perhaps more may be able to trade regularly on this route. However, careful risk assessment of the environmental impact of such traffic is vital before regular voyages can be contemplated. “Icebreaker escorts and assistance remain necessary


throughout all


transits, even for ice-class vessels and whatever the ice conditions. Another important challenge faced is the absence of ship repair and supply services within this region. Despite all this, in our view the Northern Sea Route remains an exciting opportunity for world trade and, in particular, serving the energy requirements of major Asian markets”, Popravko added, regarding Sovcomflot’s own developments. NA


The Naval Architect January 2012


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