Aleksandr Novak orders to ensure a resource base for additional production of 34 million tonnes of LNG
It is essential for achieving the previously announced goal of 100 million tonnes in the mid-term period
Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak has given instructions to ensure new promising projects for the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with a resource base of 34 million tonnes in order to achieve the previously announced goal of 100 million tonnes in the mid-term period. The instructions were given at a meeting on the development of LNG production in Russia, according to the press center of RF Government.
Among the meeting participants were representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Energy, the companies implementing LNG projects: Gazprom, Novatek, Rosneft, Rosatom, as well as Russian scientists including Vladimir Litvinenko, Rector of St Petersburg Mining University.
“The strategic task and the future of our gas exports is the development of LNG production, which should reach at least 100 million tonnes per year in the mid-term. As of today, operational projects produce about 33 million tonnes. Taking into account the projects under construction, the plants in Ust-Luga and Arctic LNG 2, Russia will produce 66 million tonnes of LNG per year. It is necessary to find an additional resource base to additionally produce 34 million tonnes of LNG per year, organize a comprehensive interaction between the authorities and the companies, ensure local production of large- and mid-size equipment for the LNG industry, work out measures for reduction of administrative barriers,” said Alexander Novak.
With the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Energy is to develop a roadmap for the project with domestic technologies covering 80% of the industry's needs, monitor the opportunities and risks of LNG production in Russia taking into account the global demand, consolidate the companies' plans on production and purchase of equipment and technologies with the subsequent organization of their serial production.
According to Vladimir Litvinenko, the key challenge of the LNG production industry is the demand for specialists significantly exceeds the supply. “It is necessary to solve the task of providing human resources for the development of domestic LNG production, coordinate the customers’ efforts towards the development of their own technologies for the production of LNG equipment – from heat exchangers to turbines – which the launching of their mass production, and also to provide the projects with resources based on profitable gas reserves,” he said.
Alexander Novak gave instructions to the meeting participants to form working groups for certain activities, assess the level of import independence in the industry, create a roadmap for local production of equipment and LNG production technologies, assess the demand and the situation with personnel training, as well as to ensure new promising projects with a resource base.
