The Chinese caravan went to the sanctioned Arctic LNG—2 with a power plant

A caravan of semi—submersible heavy trucks is going from China to the Russian Arctic with power plant modules for the Arctic LNG-2 sanctions project. The previous flight from the Chinese shipyard was stopped due to the threat of sanctions, but after that it could change its owner.

Three semi-submersible heavy trucks Ocean 28, Hunter Star and Nan Feng Zhi Xing are going from China to the Russian Arctic. According to gCaptain, the vessels are transported to Arctic LNG —2 from the shipyard in Zhoushan power plant modules for the second phase of the project.

The information of the publication is confirmed by the AIS data of the courts. After bunkering in Vladivostok, the caravan heads to the Northern Sea Route. The vessels indicate the destination port of Sabetta, where the first Arctic Yamal LNG project is located. Arctic LNG — 2 is located 70 kilometers away — on the other side of the Gulf of Ob, on the Gydan Peninsula.

Earlier, the second Arctic project was supposed to be equipped with gas turbines by the American Baker Hughes, but she refused to fulfill her obligations due to sanctions. Arctic LNG — 2 decided to install an electrically powered power plant, which was built at the Wison Offshore & Marine shipyard.

The current voyage is the second attempt to deliver equipment from the shipyard to Russia this year. In March, the semi—submersible vessel Wei Xiao Tian Shi set off with two gas liquefaction modules for the third Arctic LNG-2 line to Murmansk. However, at the end of June, due to the threat of US sanctions, the Faroe Islands took a reverse course.

Then Wison New Energies announced the withdrawal from Russian projects and plans to sell the shipyard. Perhaps it has a new owner, while Wison New Energies announced the construction of a new one.

"The onshore power plant was built at the Wison New Energies shipyard in Zhoushan between the end of 2022 and the summer of 2024," gCaptain reports. The publication noted that the Chinese caravan is heading to the Northern Sea Route at a time when navigation is beginning to be closed on it due to early ice formation.

"The administration of the Northern Sea Route of Russia announced that vessels without ice class should clear the route by October 10. Ocean 28 has a strategically important cargo and, most likely, it will be provided with any assistance necessary to ensure that it reaches its destination. The Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet is currently preparing for the start of a winter mission to keep shipping lanes open," the specialized edition writes.

As reported by EADaily, the Arctic LNG—2 project is to become the third major LNG project in the Russia — with a capacity of about 20 million tons (27 billion cubic meters of gas) per year. Back in November 2023, the United States imposed direct sanctions on Arctic LNG—2.

In December last year, the first of three lines was put into operation. However, shipments began only this August. The US Treasury imposes sanctions on all organizations and courts that may be related to the project. As a result, the export began when a fleet of gray gas carriers was formed, whose owners are unknown. After that, they were covered by a wave of sanctions.

The Russian government plans to increase LNG production by almost three times by 2035 — up to 100 million tons per year. In the US, they said they were going to kill the Arctic LNG—2 project.