The Russian company SVEZA group will manufacture birch plywood for LNG-carriers

In October 2016, SVEZA Ust-Izhora plywood mill obtained the Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT)  Approval confirming compliance

with specification of containment system for liquefied natural gas carriers. SVEZA Group, a world leader in birch plywood production, 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 — which is twice as much as that of our competitors — 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”, − comments Yulia Ermakova, the Head of Marketing and Client Service of SVEZA Group.
Plywood used for containment systems of LNG-carriers shall meet the most stringent requirements. The material 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.
It is no coincidence that SVEZA Ust-Izhora plywood mill in Saint-Petersburg  was selected as a producer of SVEZA Gas plywood. "The mill specializes in supplying fastidious industrial customers, we have good access to main sea lanes, 80% of our products go to export. With our technological base and know-how we produce plywood that meets the highest standards. We have shipped products for construction of two vessels  in South Korea, and at the moment we are negotiating new deliveries As we cooperate closely with LNG-carriers producers, we can satisfy their high requirements for quality and service”, − comments Svyatoslav Sarson, the CEO of SVEZA Ust-Izhora plywood mill.
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.

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