Nuclear Icebreakers Escort Russian LNG Modules Through Thick Arctic Ice

A convoy of two nuclear icebreakers and two polar-class heavy lift vessels is making slow but steady progress through Russia’s Arctic waters carrying the final modules for the second train of Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project. 

Heavy-lift vessels Audax and Pugnax, operated by Singaporean Red Box, loaded two 10,000-ton prefabricated modules at the Penglai shipyard in East China in early January. After passing through the Bering Strait the vessels met up with Russia’s newest and most powerful nuclear icebreaker, Arktika, in the Chukchi Sea. 

However, challenging pack ice conditions made for slow progress with the company making limited headway for more than a week. During one 24 hour period the vessels covered less than 5 nautical miles. 

Russian ice charts show 10/10 ice coverage with average mid-winter 1st year ice. 

“The difficulty in making progress is certainly due to the compressed hummocky pack ice, which forms compression ridges in which it is very difficult to move forward, even for nuclear-powered icebreakers,” explains Hervé Baudu, Arctic shipping expert and Chief Professor of Maritime Education at the French Maritime Academy (ENSM).

AIS vessel tracking data shows Arktika repeatedly traveling back and forth between the two cargo ships.  

“It is going back and forth to create a lead to free them from the compression of the floes. But the leads have to be short because they close up quickly, which is why the icebreaker has to go back and forth so often,” Baudu continued.

In order to speed up the voyage Atomflot, operator of Russia’s nuclear icebreaker fleet, dispatched a second vessel. Nuclear icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy linked up with the convoy late last week and is now leading the way ahead of Arktika and with Audax and Pugnax following behind. 

“50 Let Pobedy is coming as reinforcement so that each icebreaker can escort one of the cargo ships,” concluded Baudu. 

The convoy is currently passing through the East Siberian Sea, putting it around 3,000 nautical miles from its destination near Murmansk.

The four vessels are currently the only for ships operating in the eastern reaches of Russia’s Northern Sea Route, where ice thickness routinely measures 1.5m during winter. 

Audax and Pugnax are carrying key modules enabling Novatek to complete the second train of its Arctic LNG 2 project. A third module is simultaneously taking the long-way round aboard heavy lift vessel Hunter Star via the Indian Ocean and the Cape of Good Hope. 

The supply and transfer of the liquefaction technology contained in the modules has been sanctioned under the EU’s 5th sanction package from April 2022. 

All three ships are expected to deliver their cargo to Novatek’s assembly yard outside Murmansk in late February. 

Malte Humpert is a Senior Fellow and Founder of The Arctic Institute. His research focuses on Arctic geopolitics, Northern Sea Route shipping and shipping scenarios, and China’s political and economic interests in the region.