Russia is preparing to increase LNG supplies abroad and its domestic consumption

Alexey Belogoryev, Research and Development Director of the Institute for Energy and Finance, commented to Rossiyskaya Gazeta on the prospects for Russian LNG exports and the low-tonnage LNG market development in Russia.

Alexey Belogoryev notes that the markets where Russian pipeline gas enters (Europe, China and our southern neighbors) have restrictions and there is not much room to add there.

"Our only point of growth is LNG exports. The advantage is that it can be sent anywhere, meaning new markets are opening up for us, primarily in South and Southeast Asia," the expert explained.

If we look a little further into 2030, then by this time, with the current development of the situation, LNG exports from Russia may reach 60 million tons due to the launch of Arctic LNG-2 and the Baltic LNG plant, Alexey Belogoryev believes. However, for this we still need to provide ourselves with a fleet of gas carriers.

The main task in the construction of LNG plants is to create our own technology for large-scale gas liquefaction. The implementation of new projects will depend on whether the United States and the EU lift their sanctions and whether our companies will be able to replace foreign technologies and equipment for LNG production, Alexey Belogoryev notes.

According to him, we are talking, in particular, about cooling systems and high-power gas turbines. Similarly, it is necessary to build gas carriers ourselves, especially ice-class ones.