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First call of the LNG carrier Christophe De Margerie to the port of Sabetta

Christophe de Margerie, the world’s first ice-breaking LNG tanker, has successfully berthed at the gas terminal at Sabetta Port in Russia, becoming the first vessel to do so. The vessel was designed to order for SCF Group, specifically to serve Russia’s Yamal LNG project, and transport LNG all year round in the difficult ice conditions of the Ob Bay and Kara Sea.

The specifications of Christophe de Margerie make her a unique vessel. She was assigned an Arc7 ice class, the highest ice class amongst existing merchant vessels. The vessel is capable of sailing independently through ice up to 2.1 metre thick. Christophe de Margerie can sail along the Northern Sea Route westward from Sabetta all-the-year-round and eastward for six months of the year (from July to December). Previously, the summer navigation window on the Northern Sea Route was limited to only four months with ice-breaker support. 

 
The total power of the vessel’s propulsion system is 45 mW. For comparison, the world’s first nuclear-powered ice-breaker, Lenin, had a power output of only around two thirds of this figure at 32.4 mW. 
 
In just one voyage, the vessel can carry 172,600 m3 of LNG, which is sufficient to supply the country of Sweden with all its gas requirements for almost four weeks. The vessel is 299 metres long (equal to the height of the Eiffel Tower) and 60 metres high (comparable to the height of a 22-storey building).  
 
The crew of the ship numbers 29, all of whom are Russian seafarers and 13 of which are officers. On top of the significant Arctic shipping experience each officer has, he or she has undergone extensive training at Sovcomflot’s own training centre in St. Petersburg. 
 
Christophe de Margerie is the prototype for a series of 15 gas carriers, which are planned to be constructed for the Yamal LNG project. The appearance of this particular gas carrier signalled the market debut for Yamalmax ships, a new class of vessel. 
 
The propulsion system of the new gas carrier consists of Azipod type propulsion units. They provide a very high degree of manoeuvrability, and allow use of the stern-first motion (Double Acting Tanker, DAT function) principle, which is necessary to overcome hummocks and heavy ice fields. Uniquely Christophe de Margerie has three Azipods – this is the first time so many of these propulsion units have been installed on an Arctic ice class vessel. 
 
The exceptional ice-passing and manoeuvring qualities of the new vessel were fully confirmed by her ice trials, which took place from 19 February to 8 March 2017 in the Kara and Laptev Seas. During the trials, the vessel managed to exceed a number of indicators: 
  • The vessel proved her capability to move stern-first in 1.5 metres thick ice at a speed of 7.2 knots (target figure was 5 knots) and head-on at a speed of 2.5 knots (target figure was 2 knots);
  • The turning circle of the ship in 1.7 metres thick ice was 1,760 metres against the planned 3,000 metres.  

During her maiden call at Sabetta Port, the vessel successfully carried out a trial passage through the purpose-built seaway canal, the most difficult part of the Ob Bay in terms of navigation. The canal was created at the confluence of the Ob River in the Kara Sea, to allow large-capacity vessels to cross the shoal at the river mouth. This engineering structure, unique for the Arctic basin, is intended to be operated in difficult conditions of constant ice drift. The canal’s depth is 15 metres, its width is 295 metres, and length is 50 kilometres. 

 

Link: http://www.sovcomflot.ru/en/press_office/press_releases/item86398.html

Дата создания страницы: 2017-03-30 13:43:46
Дата и время последнего изменения: 2018-11-07 14:09:27

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