A contract for the building of Russia’s first three LNG bunkering tankers has been signed between LNG-Gorskaya LLC and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC). The new three LNG bunkering tankers will be part of the project on construction of an LNG plant with annual capacity of 1.26 million tons at Gorskaya station near Saint-Petersburg.

The three vessels ordered by LNG-Gorskaya will have a capacity of 7,300 m3 each and will be delivered by USC in 2017. The contract’s estimated value is approximately RUB 5.67 bln. The agreement provides an option for the construction of additional six LNG tankers.

LNG-Gorskaya LLC has the intention to create its own fleet to deliver liquefied natural gas to European consumers and to bunker vessels in the water area of the Gulf of Finland.

Part of this project will be the construction of an LNG plant, nine bunkering tankers, a pier, loading rack and a gas pipeline. Also, several LNG terminals outside Russia will be included in the project, planned to be constructed in Germany, Sweden and Finland.

LNG will be produced by a complex assembled on a non-self-propelled barge. The plant will has the capacity to process 1.968 bln m3 of gas per year.

The LNG-Gorskaya LLC complex is expected to begin operation in December 2016.