Russia's Yamal LNG plant, operated by Novatek, has dispatched a first cargo of liquefied natural gas this season via the Northern Sea Route to China, Kommersant daily reported on Friday, citing Kpler data.
It said the Arc 7 ice-class tanker Georgiy Ushakov left the port of Sabetta on June 19 and has been moving eastward along Russia's Arctic shore.
The route, challenging due to thick ice and cold weather during the winter season, gained more importance over the past few years as Europe, once the largest buyer of Russia's fossil fuels, imposed a number of sanctions against Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine.
The European Commission on Tuesday proposed a legally binding ban on EU imports of Russian gas and liquefied natural gas by the end of 2027.
(Reuters)