New LNG terminal and reservoir park under construction in Kola Bay
The industrial facilities under construction across the bay from the Northern Fleet headquarters in Severomorsk are part of a new major project—the Murmansk LNG—according to natural gas company Novatek.
The construction area covers about one square kilometre and includes at least 15 reservoir tanks, satellite images show. In addition, a new terminal facility is being built on the shores of the Kola Bay.
Most of the construction work has been carried out over the past year.
The site is located immediately adjacent to the LNG Construction Centre in Belokamenka, where Novatek builds gravity-based production structures for its Arctic LNG projects.
The distance to the city of Murmansk is about 10 km, while the Northern Fleet headquarters in Severomorsk are about 5 km away, and the naval bases of Polyarny and Olenya Guba are about 15 km away.
A representative of Novatek confirms that the new reservoir tanks and terminal form part of the wider infrastructure required for the Murmansk LNG project.
"The terminal and the plant [of the Murmansk LNG] are planned to be located close to one another: the terminal between the village of Belokamenka and the Kulonga River, and the plant in the immediate vicinity of the LNG Construction Centre. This will enable the use of the infrastructure already established for the Centre," the representative said.
According to the company, the reservoirs are membrane-type tanks typically used in gas carriers.
The development of the Murmansk LNG comes amid mounting pressure on Novatek and its Arctic projects. Major parts of the company’s Arctic plants, vessels, and infrastructure have been subjected to international sanctions, and major delays and project changes have been reported.
The heavily sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project on the Gydan Peninsula produces only a fraction of its projected capacity, and the company faces significant difficulties in building the vessels needed for shipment through icy waters.
EU sanctions are preventing Novatek from selling LNG from Arctic LNG 2 to European buyers, and from 2027, the EU ban will also include the company’s Yamal LNG, as well as all other Russian LNG.
Despite the ongoing construction work in Belokamenka, it remains highly unclear whether Novatek will actually be able to move ahead as planned with the Murmansk LNG.
According to the company, the project’s first two production units are to be completed by late 2027, and a third before 2030. The three units will have a combined annual production capacity of 20.4 million tonnes, the company said.
The project also includes a connecting gas pipeline from Torzhok, in central Russia.
The Murmansk LNG was reportedly approved by the Kremlin in a meeting between Putin, Novatek leader Leonid Michelson and several top representatives of the federal government and presidential administration in late 2023.
