Sovcomflot, Russia's largest shipping company, has taken delivery of its latest LNG carrier-the 'Velikiy Novgorod'-from South Korea's STX Offshore & Shipbuilding. The ship is equipped with a diesel-electric, dual-fuel propulsion system consisting of 2x MAN 8L51/60DF and 2x MAN 9L51/60DF engines, offering a total rated power of 34 MW, which were constructed at MAN Diesel & Turbo's Augsburg plant in Germany.

The propulsion facility provides the LNG carrier with a highly efficient, low-emission propulsion system, especially when running in gas mode. It also features a high degree of redundancy, while the MAN 51/60 DF engines provide multiple fuelling options.
MAN Diesel & Turbo states that the delivery of the LNG carrier newbuilding orders mark a major milestone in its strategy of expanding its environmentally friendly dual-fuel engine technology into the marine sector. MAN Diesel & Turbo sees promising opportunities ahead in the significant LNG market.

The Velikiy Novgorod has been designed for sailing through sea ice and has an Arctic ice classification. The vessel has a total length of 300 m and a load capacity of 170,200 cubic metres of gas. It is the first in a series of ships to be built by STX Offshore & Shipbuilding in South Korea and becomes the fifth LNG carrier in Gazprom's fleet of long-term-charter tankers.

While working on the Sovcomflot project, MAN Diesel & Turbo utilised the valuable experience it gained from working on its first 51/60DF reference project, delivered in 2010 to Spanish shipping line Elcano. Featuring 5x MAN 8L51/60DF units, the 'Castillo de Santisteban' has been operating globally since summer 2010.

Sovcomflot Group (SCF) is Russia's largest shipping company and a world leader in the maritime transportation of hydrocarbons as well as the servicing and support of offshore exploration and oil and gas production. SCF is the largest operator of ice class LNG carriers in the world. The company's fleet (owned and chartered) specialises in hydrocarbon transportation from regions with challenging icy conditions and includes 160 vessels with a combined deadweight of nearly 13 million tonnes. A third of these vessels have a high ice class. Sovcomflot supports large-scale offshore energy projects in Russia and overseas, including: Sakhalin-I, Sakhalin-II, Varandey, Tangguh, Escobar and Peregrino. The company is registered in Saint-Petersburg and has representative offices in Moscow, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, London, Limassol, Madrid, Singapore and Dubai.