Novatek Starts Shipbuilder to Address Shortage of Ice-Class LNG Carriers
A listing of companies established in Russia during March revealed that PAO Novatek, the country’s largest gas producer, established a new shipbuilder. The company declined to comment to TASS or Reuters, but the speculation is that, frustrated by the lack of suitable LNG carriers, it is looking to accelerate the shipbuilding efforts.
Named Severny Inzhiniring (Northern Engineering), the company was officially filed on March 25. The records indicate that it is 100 percent owned by Novatek. Its primary business is listed as the construction of ships, vessels, and floating structures. It, however, lists other potential activities, including the production of refrigeration and ventilation equipment, engineering surveys, engineering and technical design, and technical consulting.
Russia faces a limited supply of ice-class tankers to transport the gas from the far north facilities of Noatek in the Arctic. It had announced plans years ago to build a fleet of ice-class gas carriers at the Zvezda shipyard that was established under the tutelage of Vladimir Putin. Zvezda, however, has been slow in its efforts to turn out the Arc-7 ice-class vessels, which are able to handle ice up to two meters (6.6 feet)
Zvezda was working in partnership with the South Korean shipyards that were supplying hulls and component blocks to be assembled at the yard in Russia. The war in Ukraine brought sanctions that forced the Koreas to suspend the projects, while other sanctions have limited Russia’s ability to import key components needed for the ships.
The shipyard delivered the first Arc7 tanker, Alexey Kosygin, in December 2025, specifically built to transport gas from the Arctic LNG 2 project. The vessel is 300 meters (984 feet) with a capacity of 172,000 cbm. At the time, Sovcomflot, which manages the vessel, said it expected the delivery of two more Arc7 ice-class tankers from the yard in 2026.
Novatek and Zvezda said the plan called for the construction of a total of 15 ice-class gas carriers and a total of 21 tankers. Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov announced in February 2026 that Russia would be developing the technical designs for the ships domestically in the future, while reporting that work was already underway.
Novatek owns 60 percent of the Arctic LNG 2 project. The project and gas carriers have encountered increased sanctions as the war continues in Ukraine.
The shortage of Arctic ice-class LNG carriers was further apparent in early December, when it appeared that the middle-class Arc4 carriers were unable to reach the terminal due to an early onset of thick ice. One of the vessels appeared to turn back and abandon an effort to reach the terminal for Arctic LNG 2.
No details were announced on the timing of the project or the expectations of how the new company could contribute to the need for ice-class gas carriers.
Polar Max Project Reaches Milestone with Start of Construction Ceremony
[By: ALMACO Group]
Polar Max is a next?generation icebreaking vessel designed to strengthen Canada’s Arctic and maritime capabilities. Developed as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the project aims to deliver a highly capable modern work ship able to operate in demanding northern conditions, while supporting long?term industrial development and shipbuilding expertise in Canada.
The ceremony brought together representatives from Davie, ALMACO, project partners, government authorities, industry stakeholders, neutral development organizations and media representatives to mark the importance and national relevance of the program.
Full Scale Mock-up Cabins on Display
The event featured a series of inspiring speeches by key dignitaries, Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Bernard Drainville, Minister for Lévis; George Pirie, Minister of Mines (Ontario); Steven Blaney, Mayor of Lévis; James Davies, CEO, and Lindsey Kettel, President of Davie; as well as Vilhelm Roberts, Executive Chairman of ALMACO Group. During the presentations, guests were also treated to a live video stream presented by Davie, which captured the start of the steel welding process in real-time.
Following these presentations, participants were invited to tour the full-scale mock-up cabins on display at the shipyard. These mock-ups, complemented by a 3Drendered flythrough video, offered an early and tangible perspective on the accommodation spaces being developed for Polar Max. The displays highlighted modern work ship accommodation design and functionality, allowing stakeholders to see firsthand how the interior spaces will support crew comfort and operational efficiency in northern conditions.
The exhibition allowed stakeholders to experience key interior solutions first?hand, supporting early alignment on design, layout and technical solutions before fabrication advances further.
From Plans to Execution
“Starting construction of Polar Max in Lévis marks an important new phase in a project that is already moving at an exceptional pace. Polar Max shows what can be achieved when trusted allies work together to deliver strategically vital projects when they are needed most. We are proud that work is now moving forward in Canada, where this program will strengthen long-term shipbuilding capacity while helping deliver this ship on time and on budget.” James Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Davie.”
From Le Groupe ALMACO’s perspective, the kickoff represents both a technical and symbolic milestone as the mock-up cabins have been completed and presented to the customer.
The hull is being constructed at Davie-owned Helsinki Shipyard, with Le Groupe ALMACO delivering interior accommodation spaces and other essential areas during this stage. In parallel, in Québec, Davie’s skilled shipbuilders and Le Groupe ALMACO lead the design, procurement, and fabrication of the 1,400-ton superstructure – the top part of the ship.
“Seeing Polar Max move into active construction is a proud moment for our entire organization,” said Vilhelm Roberts, Executive Chairman of the Board of ALMACO Group. “This project builds on our long?standing collaboration with Davie and reflects our shared commitment to delivering world?class ships through close, hands?on cooperation between Canada and Finland.”
Toni Urpilainen, Project Manager at ALMACO, highlighted the value of early engagement and on?site collaboration.
“The kickoff event and the mock-up cabins give everyone a concrete understanding of what we are building and how the spaces will function in real life,” he said. “This early alignment is essential for quality, safety and efficiency as the project progresses into fabrication.”
An International Collaboration Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy
The Polar Max project is being executed as a close international collaboration, with work taking place in both Canada and Finland. As part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, the program plays a key role in renewing Canada’s federal fleet while reinforcing domestic shipbuilding capacity through long?term partnerships, skilled employment and industrial innovation.
Today’s start of construction ceremony marks the beginning of an intensified execution phase, supported by close coordination between Canadian and Finnish project teams.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
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