No matter how the United States resists, Arctic LNG-2 is bending its line

NOVATEK has started transporting the second liquefaction process line for the Arctic LNG-2 project from Murmansk to the Gydan Peninsula, where it will be installed at the Utrenny terminal near the project's resource base approximately in mid-August. This was announced today, July 25, according to Kommersant.

The line was completed despite the blocking US sanctions against the project. In total, the LNG plant provides for the construction of three lines with a total capacity of 19.8 million tons.

In December 2023, the company completed the construction of the first stage of the project, before that, at the end of July, the launch of the first platform was given by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite the successful adjustment of common technological processes, shipments from this line have not yet begun due to the lack of buyers who fear secondary sanctions and a high-ice-class tanker fleet.

With the opening of navigation along the Northern Sea Route at the end of June, conventional conventional tankers can be used for deliveries to Asia. All lines of the liquefaction project (6.6 million tons each) are being built at a shipyard in Murmansk on gravity—type bases (OGT), which are then transported by sea to the Gulf of Ob to the installation site at the Utrenny terminal - next to the Utrenny deposit, the raw material base of the project. The shareholders of the project are NOVATEK (60%), French Total (10%), Chinese CNPC and CNOOC (10% each) and the Japanese consortium Mitsui and Jogmec (10%).

The launch of the third stage of the LNG plant is scheduled for 2026.

On June 21, the key technological partner of the Arctic LNG-2 project, Chinese Wison New Energies, announced the termination of work in Russia, which may slow down the work. The company participated in the construction of the onshore power plant powering the project and acted as one of the suppliers of modules for the project. It is planned to use GTE-170 "Power Machines" turbines for power supply of the third stage, Chinese equipment will be installed on the second line. As the gCaptain portal reported in July, due to the risks of sanctions, Wison deployed a vessel with technological modules for the third line already on the way to Murmansk.