Russian shipping company Sovcomflot said it placed an order on December 28 at compatriot Zvezda shipbuilding complex for construction of three new generation product carriers that use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as their primary fuel.

Three MR-class vessels will have a deadweight (DWT) of 51,000 tonnes each.

They will transport petroleum products and gas condensate and will be chartered to Russian LNG operator Novatek under long-term time charter agreements, according to a Sovcomflot statement.

Each tanker will have an ice class of 1B, enabling safe operations in areas with challenging ice conditions, including the Baltic.

The technical specification of the tankers reflects the international regulatory limits on sulphur, nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions, which will come into effect in 2020, the statement said.

To remind, in September 2018, Sovcomflot also ordered two 114,000 DWT LNG-fueled Aframax crude oil tankers from Zvezda.

Sovcomflot is one of the pioneers in adopting LNG as the primary fuel for large-capacity oil tankers.

In 2018, the Russian company has already saw three LNG-fueled Aframax crude oil tankers delivered to its fleet.