OREANDA-NEWS. October 01, 2014. In September a new membrane-type LNG carrier with a capacity of 170 thousand cubic metres of LNG moored to the LNG jetty of Prigorodnoye production complex.

It was the first time that the vessel of such capacity came to Prigorodnoye port, so all efforts were taken to fulfill the operations safely.

For comparison: the capacity of each of the three LNG tankers long-time chartered by Sakhalin Energy – Grand Elena, Grand Aniva and Grand Mereya – is 145 thousand cubic metres.

The LNG carrier was constructed on the ship yard in South Korea for the Russian company Sovkomflot. This is the second vessel in the series of high-tech ice-class LNG tankers, developed by request of Gazprom. The new vessel was named after the Russian city Pskov and staffed with Russian crew.

Pskov is equipped with a complex of an advanced equipment and is a third generation LNG carrier. The unique technologies to decrease risk of environmental pollution were used to construct the vessel. It can use either diesel or LNG as fuel. This is what makes Pskov one of most economical and environmentally safe LNG carriers. The tanker was certified as the ice-class vessel Ice2 and can be operated under low temperatures up to –30 ° С. Thus it is capable of following an ice breaker on solid ice and deliver LNG even along the Northern Sea Route. That is why Pskov can ship LNG year-round and to any location along the shortest way from port to port.

The Pskov LNG carrier leaved Prigorodnoye complex for its first commercial trip – the Sakhalin LNG was delivered to our customers in South Korea.