Russia’s first LNG bunkering vessel gets storage tanks

Russia’s Gazprom Neft said the construction of the country’s first LNG bunkering vessel progressed with the installation of storage tanks and other cryogenic equipment.

The company noted that the vessel will provide transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the ports of St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga, Primorsk and others in the Baltic Sea.

Recently the vessel was equipped with two LNG cargo tanks at Singapore’s Keppel Shipyard. Each tank has a 2,900-cbm capacity, for the vessel’s total of 5,800 cubic meters.

Additionally, Gazprom Neft noted that cryogenic equipment was installed on the vessel. This includes pumps and pipelines for loading and unloading LNG, as well as the cool-down system.

During the next stage, and in accordance with the construction schedule of the LNG bunkering vessel, a cargo deck will be installed, and work will continue on the installation of pipelines and cargo processing equipment.

Commenting on the progress, Gazpromneft Marine Bunker general director Alexey Medvedev said that construction is 70 per cent done. The assembly of the ship’s hull has been completed, the power plant and fuel tanks have been installed.

“The next stage will be the launch of the Gazprom Neft LNG bunkering vessel”, Medvedev said.

Russia’s first LNG bunkering vessel will be 100 meters long and 19 meters wide. It will be the first vessel in Russia capable of ship-to-ship LNG bunkering.

It features Arc4 ice class, enabling it to independently navigate in 0.8-meter thick ice.

The vessel also is designed to use LNG boil-off gas as fuel.