The South Korean shipyard STX Offshore and Shipbuilding began steel cutting for the first high-tech ship a series of four liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

The ships will be built on a joint class of Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) and Lloyd’s Register (LR) with the symbol KM (*) Ice2 AUT 1 OMBO EPP ANTI-ICE LI CCO ECO-S WINTERIZATION (-30) Gas carrier type 2G (methane) by order of “Sovcomflot” for “Gazprom Global LNG”, acting as charterer. RS will act as the leading society.

Membrane-type LNG carriers with a capacity of 170,000 cubic meters of liquefied gas will be equipped with a three-fuel diesel-electric propulsion plant, allowing to use LNG as fuel. The use of gas as fuel will significantly reduce emissions of NOx and SOx, which is a necessary requirement for modern ships within the tightening of international air emissions standards. Ships will be used for LNG carriage between the existing terminals, including year-round export of gas from Russia’s first LNG terminal – “Sakhalin-2″, and in the future – from the LNG terminal of the Shtokman gas condensate field.

For the purposes of project development RS surveyors received special training at the modern shipyards (South Korea, China) in respect of the LNG carriers building , as well as survey of LNG carriers in operation (United Arab Emirates, Singapore).

The ceremony was attended by representatives of RS, Gazprom Global LNG, SCF, STX Offshore and Shipbuilding and LR. Cutting metal for the second ship of series is scheduled for July 11, 2012

The distinguishing marks ECO and ECO-S are assigned to ships which are safer in respect of emissions reduction as they take additional technical measures to prevent environmental pollution.