Russia is preparing to make the earliest-ever shipment of liquefied natural gas to Asia, taking advantage of thinning ice in the Arctic Ocean and paving the way for a record-long navigation season this year. The super-chilled cargo from Novatek PJSC’s Yamal LNG facility in early May will beat last year’s record for the start of eastbound voyages through the Northern Sea Route by almost two weeks if the plan works out, according to people familiar with the situation. It will travel with an ice-breaker.
The Northern Sea Route, stretching more than 3,000 nautical miles (5,556 kilometers) between the Barents Sea and the Bering Strait, is the shortest passage between Europe and Asia. Yet its eastern part is usually shut for navigation for several months at the start of the year due to thick ice, limiting shipment potential. Its increased use underscores how quickly the pace of climate change is accelerating in the Earth’s northernmost regions.
The exact timing of the LNG shipment will depend on the thickness of the ice and weather conditions, said the officials, who asked not to be identified as the schedule is not public or finalized.
“The possibility of such a voyage in May is under discussion,” Nikita Sekretarev, spokesperson for Russian shipping company Sovcomflot PJSC, said declining to provide further details. Sovcomflot provides the Christoph de Margerie tanker to Novatek’s Yamal LNG project.