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December 30, 2025

Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 receives a powerful ice-class tanker that can ship gas in winter, transferring it to the shadow fleet

Russia’s Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex has delivered the country’s first fully home-built liquefied natural gas carrier

Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 receives a powerful ice-class tanker that can ship gas in winter, transferring it to the shadow fleet

TL;DR

  • The Alexey Kosygin is Russia's first domestically built Arc7 ice-class LNG carrier.
  • It is designed for year-round operation in the Arctic, capable of breaking ice up to 2.1 meters thick.
  • The vessel will support the Arctic LNG 2 project by enabling stable logistics along the Northern Sea Route.
  • It is expected to operate in a shuttle strategy, transferring LNG to conventional vessels for export to Asia.
  • This capability helps Novatek, the Arctic LNG 2 operator, to avoid production halts due to full storage tanks.
  • The 'shadow fleet' vessels are not suited for Arctic conditions, with limited ice-class capabilities.
  • Building the required fleet of 15 Arc7 vessels could take five to seven years due to challenges with Western components and sanctions.
  • The vessel features a unique propulsion system with three Azipod-type thrusters for enhanced icebreaking.
  • The successful operation of the Alexey Kosygin is seen as a key tactical objective for winter hydrocarbon exports.

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