Chinese Fleet Races to Deliver Power Plant to Russia’s Arctic LNG Project Before Winter

A small fleet of Chinese cargo ships has departed from shipyards near Shanghai, attempting to deliver a critical power plant to Russia’s Arctic before winter sets in. These ships are racing against time, as the Northern Sea Route is about to close to vessels without sufficient ice-class protection.

The convoy is transporting a power plant essential for Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project, which cannot proceed without it. Initially, Western-made turbines were intended for the project, but after American company Baker Hughes withdrew due to sanctions, Russian company Novatek had to redesign the plant to run on electricity, with help from Chinese partners.

The power plant was constructed at Wison New Energies’ Zhoushan yard and loaded onto three heavy-lift ships – Ocean 28, Hunter Star, and Nan Feng Zhi Xing. These vessels set sail from Eastern China between September 23-28 and are currently making their way toward the Bering Strait. However, time is running out for Ocean 28, which lacks ice-class protection. The Northern Sea Route administration requires such vessels to vacate the route by October 10, though Russia may provide support to ensure the crucial cargo reaches its destination.

Hunter Star and Nan Feng Zhi Xing have some ice protection, giving them a slightly longer window until October 20, but it may still be insufficient for them to complete the journey without encountering ice-covered waters.

This situation mirrors a previous attempt by Wison New Energies to deliver equipment for Arctic LNG 2 earlier this summer, which was aborted due to concerns over sanctions. Industry experts speculate that Wison could cancel this delivery as well to avoid jeopardizing its contracts with Western partners.