Long-awaited equipment for the expansion of Arctic LNG 2 has finally arrived in Russia’s Murmansk Region. Two sanctioned LNG carriers have delivered large-scale modules from China that the project had been awaiting since the summer of 2024. The arrival gives the long-delayed third liquefaction train a chance to move forward after construction stalled for nearly two years.
The breakthrough in the project’s logistics came thanks to the LNG carriers Bright Ocean and Glory Ocean. Although both vessels are subject to Western sanctions, they successfully transported the oversized modules from China to NOVATEK’s Belokamenka Center for the Construction of Large-Tonnage Offshore Structures.
The delays surrounding the third train date back to mid-2024, when Chinese contractor Wison Offshore terminated its equipment supply contract under sanctions pressure. The manufacturing facility itself later became subject to sanctions, management changed, and installation work came to a halt. While the newly delivered modules mark significant progress, two additional modules remain in China and must still be transported before construction can proceed at full pace.
China’s actions suggest that Russian LNG remains strategically important despite sanctions. Once the third train is commissioned, Arctic LNG 2 will reach its full design capacity of 19.8 million tonnes of LNG per year. Currently, all cargoes from the project are handled through the Beihai terminal in China, which has received 41 LNG cargoes totaling approximately 2.6 million tonnes since August 2025. By mid-autumn, China plans to commission a second receiving terminal dedicated exclusively to sanctioned cargoes.
NOVATEK is also expanding its Arctic shipping fleet. In June, Sovcomflot commissioned the Arc7 ice-class LNG carrier Konstantin Posyet. The company now has three Arc7 carriers available for transporting LNG from the project, while Russia’s Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex is expected to deliver another vessel before the end of the year.
Arctic LNG 2 continues to make gradual progress despite sanctions. With critical modules now delivered, the specialized fleet expanding, and China preparing dedicated import infrastructure for Russian LNG, the project’s third liquefaction train has a realistic opportunity to reach completion—provided the remaining equipment can also be shipped.
Source: @nefte_baza
Image: NOVATEK
