On 23 July the Board of Directors of Sovcomflot approved deals with Zvezda Shipyard and VEB-Leasing to place orders for construction of three LNG-powered product carriers. The vessels will be chartered to a subsidiary of Novatek under twenty year time-charter agreements, said the press-center of Sovcomflot.
“We are grateful to PAO Sovcomflot’s shareholder and our partners Novatek and VEB.RF for supporting our environmental initiative that plans to transfer our large-capacity tanker fleet to using more environmentally LNG fuel. The “green” technologies in energy shipping are the priority of our company for period p to 2025. The company already successfully operates the series of the world’s first Aframax-class tankers to use LNG fuel. Plus five of SCF’s “green” series vessels will be built at Zvezda Shipyard and put into operation from 2022 to 2023 years”, – said President and CEO of Sovcomflot Sergey Frank.
“In 2022 our company will accept the world’s first product carriers built in Russia working on with LNG fuel. We are for the localisation of new civil shipbuilding technologies that envisage the manufacturing of advanced marine equipment in Russia, the operation of which will help reduce the environmental footprint of humanity. . I am confident that the serial construction of new-generation LNG-fuelled large-capacity vessels at the facilities of Zvezda Shipyard will contribute to strengthening the leadership and increasing the competitiveness of Russian shipping companies in the world market”, – said Executive Vice President of Sovcomflot Igor Tonkovidov.