Russia exported almost 90% of its production from its Arctic-based Yamal LNG project to Europe in 2022, according to data from Norway’s Centre for High North Logistics (CHNL).
Figures provided to TradeWinds show that Russia exported 281 shipments from the Novatek-led Yamal LNG — the country’s largest liquefaction facility, with 251 of these being delivered to European terminals.
The total is a rise on the 263 voyages logged for 2021, when 219 shipments went to European terminals, and the 254 total for 2020, which saw 221 cargoes discharged in Europe.
CHNL said France took the most Yamal shipments with 87 cargoes — 68 of which flowed into its Montoir-de-Bretagne terminal on the country’s west coast. Belgium took in 67 shipments and Spain 52.
In total, Russia sent 33 Yamal cargoes to terminals in Asia in 2022, compared to 44 in 2021.
Of these, 30 shipments were sent east from Sabetta via the Northern Sea Route.
The bulk of these, 28, flowed to China with a single shipment to both Taiwan and Indonesia — the latter believed to be a first new destination for the Russian LNG exporter.
Two shipments took the longer southern route to China and one to Taiwan, with vessels sailing west from Sabetta.
CHNL also drilled down into the shipping figures for 2022 and detailed that of the 281 shipments from Yamal, 242 of these were on one of the project’s 15 long-term chartered specialist Arc7 LNG carriers.
Of the additional 18 voyages from the Sabetta terminal in 2022, 14 of these were shipped on Arc7 vessels.
As a result, Russia’s transshipment facility off Kildin Island near Murmansk did not appear to see much use during the year.
Of the Arc7 fleet, the 172,600-cbm flagship Christophe de Margerie (built 2017) along with sister ships Rudolf Samoylovich (built 2018) and Yakov Gakkel (built 2019) topped the leader board, shipping 18 cargoes each.
In addition to these ice-breaking ships, six Arc4 vessels and five LNG carriers with no ice-class were also used to ship cargoes during the summer and autumn periods when ice coverage is reduced.
These 11 lower or non-ice-class vessels shipped 39 cargoes from Yamal during 2022.
