Five ice breaking LNG-fuelled tankers being constructed for the Arctic LNG-2 project are to be outfitted with a full set of communications and integrated bridge systems from Wärtsilä, following the agreement of a new contract.
The deal was agreed in the first quarter of 2020 and the implementation process has now begun, in partnership with Samsung Heavy Industries in Korea. The project is expected to be completed in 2023.
Under the contract, two equivalent bridges will be placed in the vessels’ superstructure, with one turned 180 degrees from the conventional position to allow the icebreakers to more easily move both forward and aft.
All five LNG tankers will be equipped with VSAT and Iridium L-band satcom systems, as well as 12 multifunction workstations with a full set of basic applications, including ECDIS, Radar, Conning navigation information display systems, BAMS alarm tracking systems, and Navi-Planner for route planning.
The workstations are integrated on one unified platform, allowing the main operational functions to be duplicated, similar to equipment previously installed on gas carriers built for the ‘Yamal LNG’ project between 2014 and 2018.
“I’m sure that our experience in the Yamal LNG project, along with the high professionalism of South Korean shipbuilders, and the advantages of integrated technologies, will make the LNG tankers under construction truly effective for solving urgent tasks and developing safe navigation in the Arctics,” said Igor Gapeshko, Managing Director of the Transas Navigator product line within Wärtsilä Voyage.
