RF Government to stimulate bunkering of ships with LNG by amending Gas Export Law
Russia is set to build up LNG production to 100 million tonnes in the 7-year period
Exclusion of operations on bunkering of ships with liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Gas Export Law will let stimulate its use as a bunker fuel, which is more environmentally friendly and presents an alternative for the sea and inland shipping, reads the explanatory note to the bill submitted RF Government to the State Duma on 9 March 2023.
RF Government suggests amending Articles 2 and 3 of the Gas Export Law. The Government suggests expanding the geography of gas deposits whence the export of LNG is allowed, adding to the list promising deposits located far away from the Unified Gas Supply System. It appears economically inexpedient to build trunk pipelines to these remote areas. Above all, this refers to northern areas in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, where huge amounts of natural gas (about three trillion cubic metres) are located.
Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak has earlier 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 7-year period. The instructions were given at a meeting on the development of LNG production in Russia. “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,” said Alexander Novak. He also gave instructions 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.
