Sovcomflot charters more LNG carriers to TotalEnergies

Russian state-controlled shipowner Sovcomflot is set to provide two more new LNG carriers to TotalEnergies under long-term charters.

TotalEnergies has exercised its option for the two carriers under an earlier charter agreement signed between the two firms for a carrier being built by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries — Hull 8105.

The two new carriers — which will be under seven-year charters — will have capacities of 174,000m³ and bring Sovcomflot's LNG orderbook to 21 carriers. Of these 21, 18 are Arc7 ice-class carriers that have been ordered for the 19.8mn t/yr Arctic LNG 2 project from Russian shipyard Zvezda and South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering.

And the delivery of the two new carriers will bring Sovcomflot's fleet of 174,000m³ carriers to six, in addition to four 170,000m³ carriers, in what the shipowner calls its Atlanticmax fleet.

By Samuel Good