OREANDA-NEWS.   A keel laying ceremony took place at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co.Ltd. yard in South Korea for the second gas carrier ordered by Sovcomflot Group for operations under an agreement with petrochemical holding SIBUR.

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

 The new vessels are being built under the supervision of two classification societies – Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) – and have been designed in line with all relevant international requirements and standards. Their cargo-pumping system consists of 4 type-C tanks with a combined capacity of 20,600mі, designed to transport cargo under a pressure of 540kPa. The lead ship Sibur Voronezh is due to be completed and delivered in mid July 2013, the second gas carrier Sibur Tobol is due to be completed in September 2013.

Technical characteristics of the vessels:

 Length: 159m
 Beam size: 25.60m
 Depth: 16.40m
 Estimated draught: 10.90m
 Deadweight: 22,760 tonnes
 Propulsion engine power: 7,780kw

 The new gas carriers have a cargo capacity of 20,600mі 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 requirement for vessels from the end of 2013. 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.