MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. Russia's biggest independent gas producer Novatek began the implementation of a new heavy-tonnage project - Murmansk LNG, which unlike the company's other LNG projects, will be connected to Gazprom's Unified Gas Supply System. Novatek presently works on necessary design surveys and assessments, basic technical specifications for power supplies, the company told TASS on Tuesday.

"Novatek has embarked on the Murmansk LNG project, which has a number of clear benefits to meet LNG production targets, set by the Russian Federation's president and government. The company has been working on design surveys and assessments, as well as basic technical specifications for power supplies," the company said.

The project requires a new gas pipeline with the projected annual capacity of up to 30 bcm. "We expect from Gazprom technical specifications for connection to the Unified Gas Supply system," the company said.

The Kommersant daily referring to several sources said Novatek would build in the Murmansk Region an LNG plant with an annual capacity of 20.4 million tons. The plant may comprise three liquefying parts, with the capacity of 6.8 million tons each. The first two parts may be commissioned in late 2027, and the third - in late 2029.

Under the project, the company will build a pipeline of 1,300 km from Volkhov to Murmansk and further on to Belokamenka. According to the newspaper, the company has discussed the project at a meeting with Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

The new project will be the fourth in line with the commissioned Yamal LNG (17.4 million tons a year), the being constructed Arctic LNG-2 (20 million tons a year), and the Ob LNG plant that may be commissioned in 2026 - 2027. The newspaper's sources noted the company would begin the construction of the Murmansk LNG's first part at the Center for Construction of Large Offshore Facilities (CCLOF), located in the Murmansk Region's Belokamenka village, already in the middle of 2024.