A curious-looking ship has been anchored off the Anglesey coast for several days. Lit up at night “like Blackpool”, the gas-carrying vessel is part of efforts to bolster Europe’s dwindling energy supplies during a harsher-than-usual winter.
Since Saturday (January 4) the Arctic Discoverer has been anchored off Llaneilian between Point Lynas and Ynys Dulas off the northeast coast of Anglesey. Its most distinctive features are the four giant spherical tanks emerging from its deck, capable of carrying 140,000 cu metres of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). This is gas cooled to around -162C so it’s safe for transportation.
Capturing off-shore photos of the 289.5 metre-long vessel was Anglesey’s TMA Droning, which said the ship was “certainly not something you see every day”. Coastal residents agreed, saying online that it was “quite spectacular” and “pretty impressive”.
The Arctic Discoverer departed Liverpool – a regular port of call – on Saturday. It collects LNG from the port of Melkoya on northern Norway, having been specifically built to serve the Snøhvit (Snow White) natural gas field in the the Barents Sea, the world’s most northerly LNG development.
In December, Europe’s LNG imports hit an 11-month high as winter demand rose and stored supplies fell to around 70%, well down on this time last year. Further driving the demand for shipped supplies is the ending of Russian pipeline shipments through Ukraine at the start of 2025 following previous pipeline closures across Europe.
The Arctic Discoverer is due to collect another order on January 12. In the meantime, it’s providing quite a spectacle for people living nearby. Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community
“I can see this from the bedroom window,” said one woman. “It looks like a little village all light up at night.” Another added: “It’s nothing like I’ve seen from here before, she is pretty impressive.”
When built, the Arctic Discoverer was one of the world’s biggest LNG carriers
(Image: TMA Droning)
The vessel loitered off Anglesey for a while before setting anchor
(Image: TMA Droning)
It’s not the first thing off the North Wales coast to attract attention in recent days. A “massive object” off the Great Orme, Llandudno, was mistaken for a hitherto undiscovered island.
Sailing under the flag of Bahamas, the Arctic Discoverer was built in Japan in 2006 and is owned by London-based K-Line LNG Shipping UK. Designed for the North Atlantic, it can operate in the world’s toughest seas.
Hundreds of LNG tanker ships now operate worldwide. Their spherical tanks are insulated and are independent of each other. Constructed from aluminium alloy, they are designed to carry pressurised LNG at cryogenic temperatures. Get the best island stories from our Anglesey newsletter – sent every Friday
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