politics
Satellite Imagery Sheds New Light on China-Built Module Delivery for Russia’s Arctic LNG 2
The delivery of two LNG modules from China to Russia highlights continuing industrial ties between Moscow and Beijing despite uncertainty over Arctic LNG 2’s completion. Additional modules remain across Chinese yards, with some being relocated in recent weeks.
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Two large LNG modules shipped from China have been offloaded at Russia’s Belokamenka construction yard, with high-resolution satellite imagery showing they have been positioned alongside the concrete gravity-based structure (GBS) intended for the third production train of Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project.
The heavy load carriers Bright Ocean and Glory Ocean arrived at Belokamenka on July 19 and subsequently began offloading the modules, following a nearly three-month journey from China.
Their final location at the construction yard had remained unclear until high-resolution imagery taken on July 28 showed the two structures placed adjacent to the GBS platform being built for the project’s third train.
Seven remain
The arrival of the first China-built modules at Belokamenka does not by itself indicate that construction of the third train is restarting, but it demonstrates that some equipment associated with the project continues to move through the Russia-China industrial supply chain.
The two pipe rack modules, 3-TMR-001 and 3-TMR-002, are the first of 14 modules required for the third train. At least seven additional modules remain in China in varying stages of completion.
Work on the modules was halted following the introduction of Western sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, leaving their eventual delivery to the Arctic LNG 2 project uncertain.
Remains dormant
The satellite imagery, provided by maritime intelligence company SynMax to High North News, also offers a detailed view of the construction status of the third GBS at Belokamenka.
Industry analysts who reviewed the imagery said the two LNG storage tanks visible on the platform appear to be largely complete, while adjacent ballast tanks remain unfinished.
The GBS structures are among the largest floating structures ever constructed. The first two platforms were completed at Belokamenka and towed to the Arctic LNG 2 production site in 2023 and 2024, respectively, where they operate as the project’s first and second liquefaction trains.
The imagery does not show obvious signs of renewed large-scale construction activity around the GBS, and the surrounding areas of the construction yard appear relatively inactive.
That suggests Novatek, Arctic LNG 2’s majority owner and the operator of the Belokamenka yard, does not appear to be in the immediate process of restarting construction of the massive concrete platform, the analysts said.
Continued links
The delivery of the two pipe rack modules nevertheless shows that industrial links between Russia and China remain active despite the lack of clear evidence that Novatek is preparing to resume full-scale work on the third train.
Two additional modules intended for onshore power plants for the second production train currently remain in China. The modules were recently relocated from yards in Zhoushan to the port of Zhangjiagang, a location that has previously been used for the transfer of Chinese-built modules destined for Russian projects.
Novatek faces a more immediate challenge
Separately, another heavy load carrier, the Jian Yang Cheng He, departed southern China in recent weeks and has set a course for Russia’s Northern Sea Route, which it entered over the weekend.
It remains unclear whether the vessel is bound for Arctic LNG 2 on the Gydan Peninsula, the Belokamenka construction yard or another Russian or international port. The vessel departed from Zhuhai, a Chinese port that has not previously been associated with the shipment of large-scale LNG modules to Russia.
Finding sufficient capacity
The continued movement of equipment from China comes as Novatek faces a more immediate challenge than completing the third production train: securing sufficient LNG tanker capacity to transport current production.
The issue has become increasingly important as the European Union prepares to make imports of Russian LNG effectively off-limits from January 1, 2027. Arctic LNG 2 had originally been designed to rely heavily on European shipping and other Western services, but sanctions have forced Russia to seek alternative vessels and supply chains.
For now, the completion of the third train may therefore be a lower priority for Novatek than ensuring that existing and potentially new LNG production can be transported to international markets.
The shipping challenge has, however, become somewhat less urgent in recent weeks after exemptions and waivers under European sanctions will continue to allow some European shipping and energy companies to remain involved in the transportation and trading of Russian LNG.
Arctic LNG 2, located on the Gydan Peninsula in Russia’s Arctic, was designed to consist of three liquefaction trains with a combined annual capacity of 19.8 million metric tons of LNG. Western sanctions have severely disrupted the project’s original construction and shipping plans, leaving the status and timetable of the third train uncertain.
