Novatek, Rosseti sign power supply pact for Murmansk LNG project

Gas producer Novatek and Rosseti, the Russian state-owned power grid operator, have signed a strategic partnership agreement to supply power to the Murmansk LNG project, Novatek announced on September 13.

The agreement was signed at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, in the presence of the minister of energy of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Shulginov.

The agreement will enable the timely start of power supply to the Murmansk LNG project, Novatek said. The project will use electric drives for process compressors instead of gas turbines, which will help to speed up the project's implementation and reduce carbon emissions.

Leonid Mikhelson, chairman of Novatek's management board, said: "For the Murmansk LNG project, we have chosen to use electricity rather than gas to drive the liquefaction process. The solution will help to speed up the project's implementation while utilising technology from Russian suppliers, and will also ensure strong environmental performance of the project by reducing carbon emissions."

Andrey Kostin, chairman of the management board of Rosseti, said: "The signing of this agreement is a significant milestone for the Murmansk LNG project. It will ensure the timely start of power supply to the project, which is essential for its successful implementation.”

The Murmansk LNG project is located in the Murmansk region of Russia. The project is expected to have a capacity of 20.4mn tonnes/year of LNG.