Yamal LNG project was proposed when the company with the same name and controlled by Gennady Timchenko and Pyotr Kolbin got a license for the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye gas field in 2005. Novatek took control of Yamal LNG in 2009. Another project named Yamal LNG was proposed by Gazprom. In November 2008, Gazprom announced that it prepared a list of potential partners for the LNG plant of the Yamal project. Although the list was not disclosed, Gazprom indicated that ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips were included on the list. Also Royal Dutch Shell, Repsol YPF and Petro-Canada were mentioned as potential partners. In October 2010, the Novatek's project was chosen by the Russian government as a pilot project. The groundbreaking ceremony for the port construction was held in July 2012; however, construction of the port itself began in 2013. In December 2014, amid the 2014–15 Russian financial crisis, the Russian government gave a 150 billion rouble subsidy to the project. The commercial operation of the port and first LNG train were launched on 8 December 2017 by starting loading the first LNG carrier named after the late CEO of Total Christophe de Margerie. The loading was ceremonially launched by president Vladimir Putin in the presence of Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih.
Technical description
The project cost US$27 billion. The Yamal LNG plant will have three trains with total capacity of 16.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year when fully operational. The first train is operational at the end of 2017 and the full 3 train capacity is to be achieved by 2021. A second LNG Plant, named Artic LNG 2, is also proposed at a site to east near the Gyda Peninsula, across the riverOb estuary from Sabetta The plant was designed and commissioned by consortium of Technip and JGC Corporation, and Chiyoda. In addition to the LNG plant, the project includes the construction of a seaport, airport and power plant. The power plant will be built by Technopromexport and its turbines will be supplied by Siemens. The power plant will have capacity of 380 MW across its 8 turbines and it is to be operational by 2018. Construction of the port facilities started in September 2013. The LNG plant is supplied from the Yuzhno-Tambeyskoye gas field. The main export market for LNG would be China. LNG would be shipped to Asian markets through the Northeast Passage. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering is contracted to build up to sixteen Arc7 double acting ice-class gas tankers for the project. Tankers will be chartered and operated by Sovcomflot. A 180 km railway line is being built, connecting Bovanenkovo to Sabetta.
Ownership
The project is developed by JSC Yamal LNG. Novatek owns 50.1% stake in the company while Total S.A. and CNPC own 20% each with China's Silk Road Fund has signed agreement to purchase 9.9% stake. General director of the company was Gleb Luxemburg and from September 2014 Evgeny Kot has been appointed the CEO of Yamal LNG.
Icebreaker LNG carriers
Yamal LNG has commissioned 15 LNG icebreaker/tanker ships to export its gas. Each icebreaker/tanker is designed to operate year-round from the Yamal peninsula and to break ice up to 2.5 meters thick. The ships are leased by Yamal LNG from four companies: Sovcomflot, one ship; MOL, three ships; Dynagas, five ships; and Teekay, six ships. The tankers were designed in Finland by Aker Arctic Technology Inc. and built at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering shipyard in South Korea. The first icebreaker, Christophe de Margerie, traversed from Norway to South Korea across the Northern Sea Route in 19 days in August 2017.
