Steel cutting has commenced on the LNG vessel Hull Number S-1911 at the STX Offshore & Shipbuilding yard in Jinhae, South Korea.

This vessel, together with her sistership Hull Number S-1910 which was started this May, were ordered by SCF Group (Sovcomflot) last year for a long-term time charter with GM&T group.

When completed in early 2014, this highly sophisticated and efficient 170,000 cbm vessel with ice-class and winterisation, tri-fuel diesel electric propulsion and strengthened membrane tanks will join the GM&T LNG fleet and support its growing global LNG operations.

In line with the GM&T strategy, this and all other long-term time chartered LNG vessels will have full Russian crew. To support this initiative, GM&T has launched a joint programme with Admiral Makarov State Maritime Academy in St. Petersburg to promote maritime careers among young people of the Novgorod and Pskov regions of Russia.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of GM&T, SCF Group, STX Offshore and Shipbuilding, Russian Register and Lloyd’s Register.

Nikolai Grigoriev, Director of Global Shipping & Logistics, GM&T said: “This is a very important milestone in the execution of the Gazprom LNG strategy. The LNG fleet renewal programme we initiated in late 2010 is firmly on schedule. We are very pleased with our progress so far and are looking forward to seeing further growth in our LNG shipping and trading activities in the near future.”