MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. Arctic LNG 2 entered into long-term charter agreements on 14 Arc7 ice-class LNG tankers with SMART LNG (a joint venture between Novatek and Sovcomflot), with the construction of LNG tankers planned at the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex, Novatek said in a statement on Monday.

The signing of charter agreements enabled SMART LNG to conclude corresponding contracts on construction and lease financing of those vessels with VEB.RF Group and Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex (managed by a consortium of Rosneft and Gazprombank).

In October 2019, contracts on chartering, financing and construction of a pilot ice-class LNG tanker to be built at the Zvezda shipyard were signed. The participants of Arctic LNG 2 (Novatek, Total, CNPC, CNOOC, and a consortium of Mitsui and JOGMEC) approved earlier the construction of 15 Arc7 ice-class LNG tankers at Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex in accordance with the project’s sea transportation strategy.

Arctic LNG 2 is involved in implementation of the project on construction of three LNG liquefaction trains with a capacity of 6.6 mln tonnes per annum each, as well as cumulative gas condensate production capacity of 1.6 mln tonnes per annum. The total LNG capacity of three liquefaction trains will be 19.8 mln tonnes per year. Novatek (60%), Total (10%), CNPC (10%), CNOOC (10%) and a consortium of Mitsui and JOGMEC (10%) are participants of the project.