News review of the events on the NSR
#1 April 2020
“Sevmorput” delivered materials and equipment for “Arctic LNG-2” project
On April 4, the crew of the nuclear container ship “Sevmorput” (belonged to FSUE “Atomflot”) completed unloading of materials and equipment for “Arctic LNG-2” project.
On March 22, “Sevmorput” vessel delivered more than 20 thousand freight units of general cargo to “Utrennee” field on the Gydan Peninsula. “The nuclear container ship passed independently from the port of Arkhangelsk to the place of unloading,” said Leonid Irlitsa, First Deputy General Director and Director of Shipping, Atomflot FSUE. “In the Ob Bay, “Vaygach” nuclear icebreaker made an approach channel for setting up the transport vessel at the place of unloading on coast ice.” Reinforced concrete products, pipe products, metal structures, construction machinery and necessary equipment were unloaded on coast ice. “Unloading on coast ice was carried out by ship’s cargo handling equipment,” says Oleg Markov, captain of “Sevmorput” ship. “The crew coped with the task perfectly.”
Nuclear icebreakers of Rosatomflot provide emergency towing of tanker “Varzuga”
On April 3, in the north-eastern part of the Barents Sea, nuclear icebreaker “Vaygach” successfully completed an emergency towing in the ice of the tanker “Varzuga” (of Bunker Company JSC, Arkhangelsk). The vessel was handed over to the rescue tug “Umka” for further towing through ice-free water to the port of Murmansk.
On March 29, in the Ob Bay, nuclear icebreakers “Vaygach” and “50 let Pobedy” took tanker “Varzuga” for emergency towing. The ship, which was in ballast, had a failure in Azipod steerable thruster. “In severe ice conditions, the ship could be pressed out by ice ashore,” says Dmitry Lobusov, captain of icebreaker “50 let Pobedy”. “It was necessary to get to work quickly.” Icebreaker “Vaygach” paved the ice channel to “Varzuga” tanker with a measure of the depths in such a way that “50 let Pobedy” nuclear ship could safely approach the vessel in shallow water. Further, the icebreakers of Rosatomflot began towing of the tanker. “Vaygach” was laying a canal, and “50 let Pobedy” towed the disabled vessel. “Thanks to the professionalism of the crews of the icebreakers, the tanker was taken out from the ice without incident,” said Alexander Skryabin, captain of “Vaigach”. Depending on the ice conditions, the average speed of the caravan was 5-8 knots.
Russian government changed borders of Murmansk port
By order of the Government of Russia dated March 31, 2020, amendments were made to the borders of the seaport of Murmansk. This was reported by the press service of Rosmorport.
The amendments are related to changing the boundaries of the water area of the seaport of Murmansk in order to include 3 water sections in the area of the Ura Bay, where it is planned to organize a marine transshipment complex for liquefied natural gas, intended for transshipment of LNG using floating gas storages.
The marine transshipment complex will consist of 3 offshore moorings. It is planned to place 2 floating gas storages with a length of 330 meters and a width of 60 meters at 2 moorings. Each storage will be secured by a system of 32 anchors weighing 200 tons, fixed at the bottom. LNG tankers of the YamalMax type, 300 meters long, 50 meters wide and a loaded draft of 13 meters can be moored to the gas storage.
A section of floating berth will be installed on the third offshore mooring, designed to accommodate auxiliary fleet ships and tugboats.
NOVATEK temporarily moves LNG transshipment from Kildin Island to Norway
The Norwegian Maritime Administration issued a permit for the transshipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) (gas produced by Novatek) under the “side to side” (ship to ship, STS) scheme for six years. This was reported to PortNews by the administration. The administration also clarified that the transshipment operator, Tchudi, announced its short-term plans for transshipment by May 15, 2020.
Let us remind, at the end of November 2018, a new offshore complex was launched near the port of Honningsvag for transshipment of LNG using the “side to side” technology. In the future, for the export of gas, it was planned to build two transshipment complexes in the Murmansk region and Kamchatka. In April 2019, the head of Novatek, Leonid Mikhelson, announced that he hoped in November-December 2019 to move the LNG offshore transshipment from tankers with high ice class to conventional tankers from Norway to the Murmansk Region in the area of Kildin Island.
However, the transshipment is currently being relocated to Norway due to the difficulties caused by the coronavirus infection COVID-19. At the same time, Novatek reported that they had completed the construction of anchoring berths for carrying out side-by-side transshipment operations near the Kildin Island.