This Is Something Revolutionary: Yamal LNG Project Creates New Trade Route Through Arctic
This Friday was a great day for our North and for all of Russia. The first Arctic ice-breaking tanker is being loaded with liquefied gas on the Yamal peninsula.
In order to make this possible, a giant gas deposit had to be discovered. Then, a small city was built from scratch on the deep-frozen soil, Sabetta, named after a local river. Then, an airport that can even handle a large Boeing, was built from scratch on the deep-frozen-soil. Construction of a modern harbor began approximately at the same time. Finally, the unique and currently the only one in the world, an ice-breaking gas-carrying tanker was designed and created. It can break two-meter-thick ice at a temperature lower than — 50.
It's clear that this one-of-a-kind mega-project needed a government decision. And the decision requires personal responsibility. When Putin was still the Prime Minister in 2009, he decided to act responsibly. The year 2009 was the peak of the raging economic crisis. Putin arrived on Yamal and made a request to develop a plan, as if nothing was wrong. He returned back one year later. The complex plan of LNG-production on the Yamal peninsula is ready. Today, it has been approved.
And now, the new mega-industry is being launched. It means, regardless of his position regardless of any possible crises Putin takes up responsibility and remains persistent till the very end.
Dmitry Petrov with the details about the impressive project from Sabetta.
A polar night, -25°C not the lowest temperature on Yamal. Multiple shifts are working 24/7. The shift's changing right now. The first line of the Yamal LNG plant has already been launched. The second and the third are currently being built right there. The construction is quick, based on a modular approach. These modules are transported to Sabetta by sea. Afterward, they are transported to the construction site by special platforms and integrated. This column of stainless steel is the main cryogenic heat exchanger where natural gas gets liquefied at a temperature of — 163° Celsius.
A whole new polar village was built from scratch for this cause. 30 000 people are currently living in Sabetta. An airport with a capability to operate any type of aircraft and a sea harbor were built here meeting the strictest of the environmental requirements. Even the polar foxes approve. The first shipment of the liquefied gas is ready. The order to fill the tanker must be given by the President, because it was Putin who approved of this mega-project back in the days. Here it is — the historic moment.
President Putin: “I congratulate all of you, your entire huge team, everyone who'd been working on this project. There are some good experts here today that told me at the beginning: 'don't do that'. I asked them why. There were a lot of serious reasons. But those who launched this project, those who risked, and by the way, the risk proved to be justified, managed to get the results”.
Now these people from Germany, France, and Italy are catching every moment and celebrating with the others, despite the contradictions to the sanctions their countries imposed against Russia. All major shareholders are present including CEO of the French Total Patrick Pouyanne. Here's him peering into the pitch-black polar night through a panorama window. The tanker Christophe de Margerie is berthed there named after Patrick's friend and predecessor.
Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of Total: "We are pioneers here in Yamal. It's like the Moon landing. We were the first ones to land on this wonderful peninsula. We built a huge plant that was a major success".
Soon, the brand new ship will navigate the NSR carrying the first shipment of the liquified Yamal gas.
From here, the tanker resembles Christophe de Margerie. A mustache is drawn at the bow of the ship, just the same as he the one he had. It was done in agreement with his family. That's sweet.
Experts consider this ship to be not just the best in its class but the best one in the civilian fleet. A true sea giant with a crew of just 29 people. The most complicated operations of filling the tanks with liquid gas are executed by a single expert.
Andrey Pozdnyakov, cargo loading expert: "The screen tells us what valves and lines are currently being used. The operator just controls the filling process with the valves".
It can make a 180° turn without moving And slow down from cruise speed to zero in just a few seconds. It breaks ice better than any other icebreaker only the navigator is involved.
Sergey Zybko, captain: "It tracks the vessel, guides it makes sure it doesn't collide with other vessels. It monitors the work of the machinery, especially at night. The vessel is 300 meters long and 50 meters wide. Still, it's easy to steer".
But back to the plant. The central control room looks like Babylon. Engineers from 15 countries are working on the project. From here, they control the tuning of the newly installed equipment. Putin visited them as well and met with the Russian side of the team.
- Was the aurora lighting your way here?
Vladimir Putin: No, haven't seen it. Your plant was lighting my way a new high-tech aurora.
- What do you think about its scale?
Vladimir Putin: "It's the greatest we have in Russia. the greatest in the world. And we will develop it. Leonid told me about the new technologies being implemented in the Yamal LNG-2 project. You're planning to make the fourth line fully based on Russian technologies, right? It would be 30% cheaper".
Russia is committed to becoming the leader in this new market. Soon, Yamal LNG will achieve the production capacity of 16 500 million tons of liquid gas per year. New projects lie ahead.
Dmitry Petrov, Petr Rovnov Yuri Gonchar, Stanislav Ponomarenko Vesti News of the Week, Yamal peninsula, Sabetta.