The German state became the owner of two ice-class LNG vessels when the government expropriated Gazprom Germania last year. This Data Desk investigation reveals Berlin is using these high-spec ships to do mundane tasks they are not designed for – presumably to avoid being accused of enabling Russian LNG exports. Ice-class vessels are slower and more fuel/emissions-intensive than standard LNG carriers, so operators reload cargoes onto regular vessels at the nearest transhipment facility. This ensures they spend their time ploughing through icy waters that others cannot easily navigate, rather than in warmer waters where they are at a cost/logistical disadvantage. How long will this situation persist? Presumably until the charter expires in 2028…