The first ship in Russia built to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fuel other ships with LNG has finished its sea testing, according to energy major Gazprom Neft, Reuters reported.
The Dmitry Mendeleev will join Gazprom Neft’s fleet in the second part of this year, according to the firm.
The Arc4 ice-class tanker Dmitry Mendeleev will be capable of transporting up to 5,800 cubic meters of LNG. St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga, and Primorsk are among the ports on the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea where it will operate.
The shipping industry is under pressure to decrease carbon emissions, and harsher limits on sulphur content in marine fuel were introduced last year.
LNG is also being considered as a fuel for tankers and cruise ships.
According to a Deloitte analysis on shipping fuel published in 2019, LNG emits 21% less CO2 and much less particulate matter than fuel oil.
