EMEA News
MOL Plans Arctic LNG Transport from Yamal
Mitsui OSK Ltd. (MOL) plans to transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Arctic Ocean from northern Russia with icebreaker LNG tankers starting in 2018, Reuters reports.
Working with joint venture partner China Shipping, the Japanese carrier has ordered three icebreaker LNG carriers from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd. of South Korea.
The tankers will deliver LNG from a gas plant being built on the Yamal Peninsula in northern Russia to Europe and Asia.
With the melting of sea ice along the route, the tankers are expected to be able to travel to Europe all year, but will operate on the Asia route only between July and November.
The route will allow gas to move from the plant to Europe in about 11 days and to Japan and other Northeast Asia points in about 18 days.
The Yamal plant is being built by Russian gas producer Novatek, French energy company Total, and China National Petroleum Corp.
One analysis of Arctic shipping last year suggested that LNG from Yamal will represent 15 million tonnes of cargo, out of a total of 40 million tonnes moving on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) by 2021.
