OREANDA-NEWS. November 01, 2012. A grand steel cutting ceremony took place at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd. yard in South Korea for the first LPG carrier ordered by Sovcomflot Group to fulfil contractual obligations to petrochemical holding SIBUR.

In March, 2012, Russia’s leading shipping company SCF and petrochemical giant SIBUR signed a long-term agreement on the charter of two gas carriers for the regular year-round shipping of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). SIBUR plans to start exporting LPG in 2013 via its own terminal at the sea port of Ust-Luga.

 The new gas carriers have a cargo capacity of 20,600 mі and were designed in collaboration with SCF Group experts according to SIBUR requirements. These vessels are equipped with the latest technological advances in the shipbuilding industry and have a range of competitive advantages over other existing ships of their class. These ships are specially designed to be fitted with a ballast water management system – a compulsory prerequisite for vessels from the end of 2012.

The structural design of the vessels includes a reinforced hull for year-round operations in the harsh climatic conditions of the North Atlantic. These robust vessels will have an active service life of 25 years, although this figure will significantly increase if they are used in normal climatic conditions. The design of these 1B ice class vessels (Ice3 in the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping) will allow them to operate effectively in the low temperatures of the Baltic Sea during their winter passages.

 The vessels are being built under the supervision of two classification societies – Lloyd’s Register and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. During vessel construction, Russian manufacturers will provide navigational equipment, components, machinery, spare parts and software development. The first ship is due to be completed in 2013.