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Zvezda shipbuilding complex, Samsung Heavy Industries to build shuttle tankers together

Samsung Heavy Industries will design gas carriers for Arctic LNG 2, Rosneft said

BOLSHOI KAMEN, September 4. /TASS/. Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex (being established at the Russian Far Eastern shipbuilding and ship repair center by the Rosneft-led consortium with Rosneftegas and Gazprombank) and Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. of the Republic of Korea have set up a joint venture to manage projects for the construction of 42,000-120,000 tonnes deadweight shuttle tankers at Zvezda Shipyard, Russia’s oil major Rosneft said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The JV has been created upon an agreement on the exchange of experience in the design and construction of shuttle tankers, signed in 2018. Samsung Heavy Industries will hand over the technical specifications and the rights to base documentation of a detailed ship project to Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex and will also provide assistance in developing working design shuttle tankers documentation together with Lazurit central design bureau," Rosneft said.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Korean company will also provide technical support for planning, management, and quality control during the construction and installation works, procurement of materials and equipment, and engineering and technical assistance for the construction of shuttle tankers at the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex. Moreover, Samsung Heavy Industries will carry out training of Russian personnel at its shipyard and arrange a manufacturing practice on similar projects.

Gas carriers for Arctic LNG 2

Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex and Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd have also inked a contract for the design of gas-carriers for Arctic LNG 2 project during the 5th Eastern Economic Forum, Rosneft stated in a press release.

"According to the signed document, Samsung Heavy Industries will become technology partner of the project and hand over the technical specifications and the design documentation of the project to Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex. The Korean company will also provide assistance in developing working design documentation to Lazurit central design bureau," the press release reads.

The Arctic LNG carriers to be built by Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex will meet all the requirements of the Russian law which allow determining ships as Russian, according to the press release.

According to Rosneft, the vessel’s design allows it to individually pull through the ice of up to 2.1 meters thick. The capacity of the gas carrier’s power station is 45 MW which is comparable to the capacity of a nuclear icebreaker. These Arctic LNG carriers feature increased environmental safety; in particular, they use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as their primary fuel.

In 2018, Novatek confirmed a reservation of Zvezda production capacities for the whole set of gas carriers for the Arctic LNG 2 project.

In April 2019, Zvezda and Sovcomflot signed the contract for the construction of a pilot gas carrier for the Arctic LNG 2 project, according to the press release.

It is planned to build 15 gas carriers. The project, which costs more than 300 bln rubles ($4.5 bln), can be financed by VEB.RF.