Photos: Teekay’s New Icebreaking LNG Carrier ‘Eduard Toll’ Makes Historic Northern Sea Route Passage

The icebreaking LNG carrier Eduard Toll during sea trials in Korea. Photo: Teekay

Bermuda-based shipping company Teekay has taken delivery of the icebreaking LNG carrier Eduard Toll, which has now completed its first unescorted trip across the Northern Sea Route.

Eduard Toll is the fourth of 15 Arc7 LNG carriers being built for Russia’s $27 billion Yamal LNG project and Teekay’s first of six LNG newbuildings contracted to service the project.

Over the New Year, the vessel made history as it underwent the latest seasonal independent passage by a merchant ship on the Northern Sea Route.

The vessel was technically accepted by Teekay in Korea at the beginning of December 2017 after successfully completing sea trials. From there, the vessel departed for her journey to the port of Sabetta, Northern Russia, via the Northern Sea Route.

At times during the trip, the unescorted Eduard Toll broke ice 1.8 meters thick at speeds of five knots astern, arriving at Sabetta ahead of schedule sometime in early January. 

“This marked a major milestone for shipping in the arctic as this was the first time a shipping vessel made independent passage, without the support of an ice breaker, during this time of year,” Teekay said in a media release it issued this week.

“With the inaugural passage now successfully behind us, we look forward to loading for someplace sunnier as soon as Yamal LNG’s busy quay becomes available, and to doing it all over again for decades to come on the Eduard Toll and our five other five newbuilds comprising the Arc7 fleet that we own with our joint venture partner, China LNG,” said Mark Kremin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Teekay Gas Group Ltd.

The ship’s namesake, Baron Eduard Toll, was a Russian geologist and explorer who dedicated his life to the discovery of the Arctic and pioneered Russian Polar expedition.