The first Russian built ice-class LNG carrier, Alexey Kisygin has entered sea trials, aimed to increase the country’s share of the global LNG market, despite facing US sanctions.

Alexey Kisygin was constructed at the Zvezda shipyard and is set to join the fleet servicing Russia’s new Arctic LNG 2 plant, as Reuters reported.

Notably, the US Treasury has imposed sanctions on the new vessel, which Russia’s leading tanker group Sovcomflot ordered to be built at Zvezda.

According to Reuters, the tanker is currently anchored near the Pacific port of Vladivostok.

Novatek, which holds a 60% stake in Arctic LNG 2, has announced plans to build 15 Arc7 ice-class tankers capable of navigating through ice up to two meters thick to transport LNG from Arctic projects.

Currently, only three suitable gas tankers have been built for Arctic LNG 2: the Alexey Kosygin, Pyotr Stolypin, and Sergei Witte.

Six more Arc7 tankers were planned to be built by Hanwha Ocean, formerly known as Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, including three for Sovcomflot and three for Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.

However, the three tankers ordered by Sovcomflot were cancelled due to the sanctions against Russia.