The first shipment of LNG from Yamal LNG’s Train 2 in northern Russia has been loaded for shipment. Train 2 adds 5.5 million tonnes/year, doubling the plant’s capacity. A third 5.5 million-tpy train is expected to start operations early in 2019. Train 2 was commissioned 6 months ahead of schedule, according to majority-owner PAO Novatek.
Yamal LNG last month shipped its first two cargoes eastbound via the Northern Sea Route to China, delivered to Jiangsu Rudong port (OGJ Online, July 6, 2018). Two 170,000-cu m Arc7 vessels—Eduard Toll and Vladimir Rusanov—transited the ice-covered part of the route in 9 days with no icebreaker escort. China expects to take more than 4 million tpy once Train 3 begins operations.
Yamal LNG’s shareholders are Novatek 50.1%, Total SA 20%, China National Petroleum Co. 20%, and the Chinese state-run Silk Road Fund 9.9%. Total also owns a 10% stake in Novatek’s 19.8-million tpy Arctic LNG 2 project, east of Yamal LNG on northern Siberia’s Gydan Peninsula. The two companies agreed in May that Total will have the opportunity to acquire a 10-15% direct interest in Novatek's future LNG projects in Yamal and Gydan.
Novatek plans to produce 55-60 million tpy of LNG by 2030.
