Russia’s First Domestically Constructed LNG Carrier Faces Delays as Sea Trials Drag On

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) –

The Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker Alexey Kosygin, launched late last year, has yet to complete sea and mooring trials. For much of winter the vessel has been idling outside the Zvezda yard near Vladivostok. 

The delays put a damper on Russia’s plans to accelerate domestic construction of critically needed LNG carriers and oil tankers for its Arctic energy projects. Zvezda and vessels under construction at the yard have also been sanctioned by the U.S.

The initial set of sea trials lasted just 72 hours in late December 2024. The vessel had since been at anchor in Amur Bay a short distance from the shipyard. It apparently began another round of trials this week sailing toward Nakhodka Bay to the east. 

Upon commissioning the vessel is expected to be operated by sanctioned Russian shipping company Sovcomflot. 

Alexey Kosygin is the lead vessel of what was intended to become a fifteen-vessel strong fleet of Arc7 ice-capable LNG carriers constructed with Samsung Heavy Industries’ help in service of the Arctic LNG 2 project. 

The South Korean yard provided much of the hull with final assembly and buildout at the Zvezda yard. Only five hulls were delivered before Western sanctions stopped the cooperation and forced Western companies to depart from the Russian yard. Additional vessels under construction at Hanwha have also been blocked by U.S. sanctions. 

A key challenge remains the completion of the vessels’ gas membrane used in the LNG storage tanks. Only some units were completed before the French company GTT contracted to provide the membranes left Russia in 2023. 

Alexey Kosygin and the next vessel in line for commissioning Pyotr Stolypin, were intended to enter into service in 2024. Delays then pushed the timeline to Q1 of 2025. With the slow progress on sea and mooring trials further delays, likely into the second half of 2025, appear likely. 

However, urgency to complete the vessels is limited while Western sanctions against Arctic LNG 2 remain in place. Russian LNG company Novatek, the majority owner of Arctic LNG 2, mothballed the facility in October after proving unable to find buyers for eight shipments of sanctioned cargo loaded at the plant in August and September 2024. 

But the new Arc7 carriers will be needed the moment Western sanctions are lifted. Recent reporting suggests that Arctic LNG 2 will be one of the key Russian energy projects targeted by the Kremlin for sanctions relief as the Ukraine peace process moves forward.

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