Yamal LNG looks for transhipping port

EU ports in the running are Belgium’s Zeebrugge and ports in France and Spain. The decision could be made by the end of the third quarter.

Yamal LNG will need to transfer the fuel from ice-class tankers to conventional LNG vessels a t a facility in Europe when the direct Northern Sea Route to Asian markets is blocked for as long as eight months of the year. After the LNG is transferred, the tankers would take the long route to Asia around the European continent, through the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.

The US$26.9bn project is being developed by Novatek, Total and China National Petroleum Corporation and commercial production is expected to begin in 2017.