Novatek Launches Vessel Construction Amid Global Tanker Shortage
Novatek, Russia's largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), has established a new company, Severny Inzhiniring, to build vessels and floating facilities. This move comes in response to a global shortage of gas tankers, exacerbated by Western sanctions that have limited Russia's access to ice-class tankers necessary for transporting LNG. The new company, led by Ilya Lushchikov, aims to address these logistical challenges by constructing its own fleet. Currently, Russia's Zvezda shipyard, known for building large Arc7 ice-class tankers, has delivered only one such vessel for Novatek's Arctic LNG 2 project.