ZPMC Red Box Energy Services has announced that the Audax – its Polar Class vessel – has commenced its journey to the Novatek-led Yamal LNG project on the Sabetta Peninsula in Northern Siberia, Russia, despite severe weather conditions.
The vessel is capable of operating above the Arctic Circle year round in temperatures as low as -40°C, and can travel through 1.5 m thick ice at a speed of 4 knots.
Photos courtesy of upstream
The vessel is currently travelling westwards along the Northern Sea Route from Bering to Sabetta, and is attempting to carry out the first ever module delivery (of this module size) in the middle of winter in temperatures reaching -25°C.
The vessel is transporting three modules, all of which were constructed at the Cooec fabrication yard in Qingdao, China, for Train 2 of the Yamal LNG plant. Each module weighs approximately 6000 t and measures approximately 40 m long, 40 m wide, and 30 m high.
Both Audax and Pugnax, its sister ship, were constructed by Guangzhou Shipbuilding at its Longxue facility in Guangzhou. The two vessels are the largest polar ice breaking module carriers ever constructed.
Philip Adkins, ZPMC Red Box Energy Services Chief Executive, said: “We invested a lot over the last two years in the training and preparation of our crews for this voyage. Audax is scheduled to arrive in Sabetta on 4 January, depending on the ice conditions.”
Adkins added that the time charter contracts with Yamgaz (an engineering, procurement and construction joint venture for Yamal LNG consisting of Technip, JGC Corp. and Chiyoda) are for five years per vessel.
Source: LNG Industry