SVEZA OK'd to Supply Plywood for LNG Carriers

Posted by Greg Trauthwein November 28, 2016

GTT's auditor signs of plywood samples for qualification tests. (Photo: Sveza)

SVEZA Ust-Izhora plywood mill recently obtained the GTT (Gaztransport & Technigaz) Approval confirming compliance with specification of containment system for liquefied natural gas carriers. SVEZA Group is a leader in birch plywood production, and it reportedly has become the first Russian domestic producer certified to deliver to LNG-carriers manufacturers. The company's target is to gain at least a 30% share of the market with the estimated annual volume of 60,000 cubic meters of plywood.

SVEZA Group has become the fourth company in the world certified by GTT.

"With a 20% share of the global plywood market, we are expanding into new markets and segments. The Approval enabled us to enter LNG-carriers segment. From now on Russian plywood along with European will be used for modern vessels construction. A pilot batch of SVEZA plywood for LNG-carriers has undergone a thorough inspection and testing by GTT. The first industrial batch was produced in April 2016 at SVEZA’s mill in Saint-Petersburg," said Yulia Ermakova, the Head of Marketing and Client Service of SVEZA Group.

Plywood used for containment systems of LNG-carriers withstands heavy loads during operation: LNG-carriers have cargo capacities of up to 200,000 cubic meters, and the weight of gas they ship can be up to 85,000 tons. SVEZA plywood samples have successfully passed all necessary strength tests, including thermal shock test.

"SVEZA has shipped products for construction of two vessels in South Korea, and at the moment we are negotiating new deliveries. The demand on liquefied natural gas is projected to increase, encouraging growth in LNG-carriers industry. Currently GTT’s order book consists of 91 vessels , and this creates new opportunities for development of all market participants," said Andrey Immoreev, SVEZA Group Sales and Marketing Director.