MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. The first line of the Arctic LNG-2 plant has virtually started operating, with first shipments of liquefied natural gas from the project expected to start in the first quarter of 2024, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview aired by the Rossiya-24 TV news channel.

"The Arctic LNG-2 plant is being constructed now, its first line has virtually started operating already. We expect shipments from this project as early as in the first quarter of next year," he said.

Reuters said earlier that Novatek had sent force-majeure notifications regarding future LNG supplies from the Arctic LNG-2 project to a number of its clients. The daily Kommersant reported that foreign shareholders of the project, France’s TotalEnergies, China’s CNPC and CNOOC and the consortium of Japan’s Mitsui and JOGMEC, declared force-majeure on participation in the project.

Considering all projects that Russia has in terms of strategic development of the LNG market and construction of plants, the country may reach the level of LNG production of 100 mln tons by 2035, Novak said. "And we plan to take the share from 15 to 20% on the global market. Fundamentally, the same share that we used to have on supplies of pipeline gas," he noted.