Regional Shtokman challenges
In yesterday’s press conference about the Shtokman project, company leader Yury Komarov indicated that land questions, infrastructure and regional competitiveness pose major challenges for the Shtokman Development AG. The many closed-off areas in Murmansk Oblast might force the company to place activities outside the region.
Following yesterday’s Shtokman meeting in Murmansk, Mr Komarov said that the Shtokman Development AG “ is interested in placing the industrial facilities to the first and subsequent Shtokman phases in Murmansk, but that necessary conditions concerning land questions, adjacent infrastructure and local companies’ competitiveness must first be solved”, B-port.com reports.
He also admitted that the specifics of the region, its special climate and big areas of closed-off land, play a role in the selection of Shtokman bases.
As BarentsObserver has reported, several towns in northern Norway are working actively for the Shtokman Development AG to establish bases also on the Norwegian side of the border.
According to Komarov, the crisis does affect his company. However, the time schedules remain unchanged. The Shtokman LNG plant, the biggest in the world with an annual production of 7,5 million tons, will be completed in 2014.
He also confirmed that a state environmental assessment of the project will be conducted in the end of the year, Bellona.org reports. Adding to that, company deputy Erve Madeo said the Shtokman Development AG understands its responsibilities for the protection of environment and is ready to discuss “any questions with NGOs”.
