European Lawmakers Urge Fayard to Drop Arc7 Repair Work
More than 100 parliamentarians from 16 European countries have called on Danish shipyard Fayard to cease servicing the specialized ice-class Arc7 tankers that facilitate Russia's Arctic LNG exports.
Background
An open letter to Fayard's CEO, Thomas Andersen, signed by 51 MEPs and 50 national and devolved parliament members, has urged the yard to reject any further vessels serving Russian Arctic LNG exports and publicly rule out any additional work on them in 2026.
Concerns and Implications
The intervention comes as the EU's 20th sanctions package prohibits maintenance and other services to LNG tankers operating in Russia from January 1, 2027. The letter warns that servicing the ships now risks providing the fleet with a final European repair window, effectively keeping it operational for years beyond the embargo.
- Fayard has been the fleet's only remaining EU option since Damen Shiprepair Brest stopped accepting the vessels in August 2024.
- Each of the six ships flagged by Urgewald has carried an average of 5.3m tonnes of Russian LNG since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, valued at around €4bn per vessel.
Reactions and Criticisms
Fayard has faced criticism from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who called it 'inconceivable' that a Danish yard should service vessels carrying Russian gas. The yard has maintained that its work complies with current EU rules and supports maritime safety.