Damen halts Russian LNG tanker servicing
Russian Arc-7 LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie (Source: Sovcomflot)
Damen Shiprepair Brest has ceased servicing Russian LNG carriers, marking a further tightening of restrictions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Dutch-owned company confirmed it had stopped repairs at the start of 2025.
“Although the previous repairs were permitted under European sanctions legislation, we decided to refrain from further work on this type of ship,” a spokesperson for Damen said. “This was the company’s own decision, in line with Dutch foreign policy discouraging Dutch companies from supporting Russian LNG exports.”
With Damen withdrawing, Fayard’s Odense yard in Denmark remains the only Western facility still servicing Russia’s Arctic LNG fleet. Two Arc-7 ice-class tankers, Boris Vilkitsky and Fedor Litke, both chartered by Yamal, were recently tracked near Odense.
About 15 Arc-7 Yamalmax vessels transport LNG from the 17.4mtpa Yamal LNG plant to transshipment hubs in Europe. While not under direct sanctions, the vessels now face growing logistical hurdles.
ICIS analyst Alex Froley said: “While not a complete blocker to Yamal, it adds to a growing number of restrictions that add more friction and logistical challenges, following on from the ban on ship-to-ship transfers in European ports in March this year.”
