Ten icebreaking LNG-fuelled gas carriers being constructed at Samsung Heavy Industries for the Arctic LNG-2 project are to be outfitted with a range of integrated navigation and communications technology systems following a new agreement with Wärtsilä Voyage.
The Arctic LNG-2 project involves the production, storage and shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas condensate from the Salmanovsky gas field of the Gydan Peninsula. The project is constructing three LNG production lines with a capacity of 6.6 million tons per year, as well as stable gas condensate. The total capacity of the three lines is projected to be 19.8 million tons of LNG per year.
The new contract with Wärtsilä is an extension of an existing deal, under which the technology provider equipped five LNG carriers with integrated bridge systems for the same project. The additional ten carriers will be fitted with similar systems – Navi-Radar, Navi-Sailor and Navi-Conning.
The vessels will operate between the Yamal Peninsula in northwest Siberia, Russia and the main European Union ports, and are likely to experience extremely challenging weather conditions.
“We will, therefore, be placing two bridges in the vessels’ superstructure, with one of them turned 180 degrees from the conventional position. This peculiar design will allow icebreakers to move both forward and aft, thus ensuring safe navigation under adverse Arctic climate conditions,” said Alex Van Knotsenborg, Director Global Sales, Wärtsilä Voyage.
The contract includes the installation of a multifunction display system consisting of 12 workstations with a full set of applications, including an ECDIS, radar, conning navigation information display system, Bridge Alert Management System (BAMS), and Navi-Planner for route planning. Iridium satellite communication systems will also be supplied.
The workstations are fully integrated into a unified system, which allows the main operational functions to be duplicated, and will be installed ‘integration-ready’ for link-up with the Wärtsilä Voyage Fleet Operations Solution for ship-to-shore operational data exchange.
All of the equipment is designed and tested to operate year-round in heavy Arctic conditions at temperatures down to 52°C below zero. Installation is scheduled to take place between 2022 and 2024.
