10 Years Ago Russia’s First LNG Plant Was Launched
The Sakhalin-2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, operated by Sakhalin Energy, was launched in February 18, 2009. In 2010, it reached its full design capacity – 9.6 mln tonnes of LNG per annum. In the years that followed, an ambitious debottlenecking programme helped increase its output capacity by 20%.
This became possible after many years of joint efforts by the Russian Federation, Sakhalin Region, and company shareholders. Speaking at the ceremony, Valery Limarenko, Acting Governor of the Sakhalin Oblast, said, “A new landmark phase in the development of Russian gas industry started ten years ago. Most advanced and efficient industrial facilities were built in the Sakhalin Region using the advantages of the leading-edge technologies. For this very reason, Sakhalin has become an example to be followed by all other new LNG projects that are now being constructed across the whole of our country, from the Baltics to the Polar Region”.
The launching of Russia’s first LNG plant paved the way for energy exports and strengthened Russia’s global presence as a supplier of energy to the Asia-Pacific Region. Once a remote and economically challenged region, Sakhalin has become a new gas hub of international calibre.
Today, Sakhalin LNG strengthens Russia’s position of a major energy producer and accounts for approximately 3.6% of the global LNG production and approximately 4.8% of the Asia Pacific LNG market.
Chief Executive Officer of Sakhalin Energy Roman Dashkov congratulated the LNG Plant workers on the anniversary and thanked all those who had helped to turn the LNG project into reality.
“You had to face many challenges which were successfully overcome through your perseverance and your unyielding confidence in the benefits of the Sakhalin-2 project. Our LNG Plant continues to be among most advanced and technically sophisticated production facilities which meets the highest industry standards,” he said.
Sakhalin LNG plant supplies liquefied gas to Japan, South Korea, China, India, Thailand, Taiwan and Kuwait.
