World’s first icebreaking LNG tanker launched in Guangzhou

The world’s first liquid natural gas (LNG) carrier designed to traverse the world’s icy northern polar region was launched on Tuesday by Guangzhou Shipyard International Co. Ltd. for Dynacom of Greece. Yamal LNG has signed a long-term charter agreement for the ship with its owner Dynagas.

The ship, named Boris Sokolov, will serve the world’s largest LNG project, the Yamal LNG plant in northwest Siberia. It is designed to cope with the extreme cold of the Arctic, where the temperature can fall below minus 50 degrees. It meets the highest rating of ice-breaking ability, as defined by Russia’s Maritime Register of Shipping. This means it can sail to and from the project at all times of the year.

The Yamal project is the first large-scale energy cooperation project in Russia that is part of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative. Located in the Arctic Circle, it is expected to drive the development of Russia’s energy industry and border areas, and also to increase China’s supply of cleaner energy as it reduces its reliance on coal.

Guangzhou Shipyard International has previously built two heavy-duty deck transport vessels that serve the Yamal LNG project. They are the world’s only two engineering vessels that can enter the Arctic Sabeta port in winter, and they have completed 40 voyages.