LNG Carrier ‘Vladimir Rusanov’ Opens Northern Sea Route Summer Navigation Season

Updated: December 8, 2023 (Originally published July 29, 2019)

Russian gas producer Novatek said its LNG carrier “Vladimir Rusanov” has completed an eastbound transit of the Northern Sea Route, officially opening this year’s summer navigation season.

Novatek says the Vladimir Rusanov transited the ice-covered part of the Northern Sea Route in only 6 days, setting a time new record for the fastest independent passage without ice-breaking support and with cargo on board.

The ship was delivering a cargo of LNG produced by at Yamal LNG from the port of Sabetta to the port of Tianjin, China. The overall from Sabetta to Tianjin was completed in a record 16 days, which is less than half the time required to transport a cargo of LNG along the traditional westbound route via the Suez Canal and Strait of Malacca, according to Novatek.

LNG produced at Yamal LNG is shipped year-round along westbound navigation routes to Northern Europe and, during the summer navigation season, eastbound to Asia via the Northern Sea Route.

“For the second year in a row, our Arc7 ice-class LNG tankers were once again the first ships to open the summer navigation period via the Northern Sea Route,” noted First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board Lev Feodosyev. “This voyage set a number of records for the passage time of the ice part of the NSR, and for the total voyage time to China from the Russian Arctic region. These achievements were made possible due to the accumulated ice navigation experience and the outstanding ice performance characteristics of LNG tanker fleet designed specifically for our Yamal LNG project. We will continue to optimize our logistical model to ensure competitive LNG supplies to key global consuming markets”.

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