ANADYR, March 3. /TASS/. Implementation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in the territory of Chukotka will contribute to the development of shipping along the Northern Sea Route and increase the economic efficiency of industrial projects in the region, Head of the regional industrial policy department Mikhail Sobolev told TASS.
At the Eastern Economic Forum in 2019, the Chukotka government concluded an agreement on cooperation with Novatek, including introduction of innovative technologies in the use of LNG as the main energy source for marine, automobile transport, and mining equipment of Chukotka enterprises. The agreement includes construction of an LNG terminal for bunkering vessels sailing along the Northern Sea Route, replacement of the Chaunskaya CHPP that works on coal with a gas engine station, which can also replace floating nuclear power plants during a fuel reloading period.
"The use of liquefied natural gas as the base energy carrier in the Chaun-Bilibino industrial region of the district will contribute to the development of shipping along the Northern Sea Route and increase the economic efficiency of Chukotka enterprises. All this will help develop the industrial potential of the Russian Arctic region and expand the use of natural gas as motor fuel," Sobolev said.
He added that as a result of the replacement of traditional energy carriers with LNG, the volume of harmful emissions will be reduced by more than half - by 63,000 tonnes. An additional effect will be the elimination of coal dust emissions during port loading and unloading operations, which will protect the unique ecosystem of the Arctic.
Now the cargo turnover of all ports of Chukotka reaches around 1 mln tonnes. Due to implementation of large investment projects, the regional authorities are going to become a full-fledged participant in the Northern Sea Route and increase freight turnover to 20 mln tonnes per year.