SEOUL, August 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Sovcomflot (SCF) maritime shipping company has received a new LNG carrier named Pskov, built at South Korea’s STX Offshore and Shipbuilding shipyard, a spokesman for the shipyard told ITAR-TASS on Thursday.

The naming ceremony for the ultramodern LNG carrier, built for Sovcomflot, was held in Jinhae on August 26. Top management of Russia’s natural gas giant Gazprom and Sovcomflot, as well as Russian Ambassador to South Korea Konstantin Vnukov attended the ceremony.

The factual handover of the LNG carrier was also planned at that time, but was postponed over bad weather conditions.

The country’s southern regions have been affected by torrential rain that caused major damage to South Korea’s agricultural sector and flooded the sea water intake facility of the Kori-2 nuclear power plant, as a result of which the plant was shut down. Ten people have been reported killed and missing in the calamity.

“Due to the rainstorm, the vessel painting had to be postponed then. But now the work has been done and the Russian crew is on board the Pskov LNG carrier,” the spokesman said.

“Pskov is the second vessel of this class, built for us,” first deputy head of Sovcomflot Yevgeny Ambrosov told ITAR-TASS. “South Korea’s STX is currently building for our company two more LNG carriers that will work with Shell.” One vessel will be delivered this year, and the time of delivery of the second carrier is not reported.

“We are generally satisfied with co-operation with our South Korean partner and hope for expanding it, developing joint building of vessels, including the transfer of technology to Russian shipbuilders,” Ambrosov said.

Pskov will work under a long-term contract with Gazprom. The Veliky Novgorod carrier — flagship of Gazprom’s fleet, is its predecessor.

The Pskov LNG carrier’s membrane-type tanks have the capacity of 170,200 cubic meters. The vessel is equipped with a diesel-electric propulsion engine, using three types of fuel. The Ice2 class equipment and certification allow the vessel to navigate in ice conditions, including on the Northern Sea Route in open water. The vessel is classified according to the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and Lloyd’s Register.

The Veliky Novgorod series tankers are among the world’s most advanced and energy efficient vessels, transporting LNG round the year from virtually all the world’s existing terminals.