MOSCOW, March 29. /TASS/. The first line of the Arctic LNG-2 project has been launched, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said, adding that it creates a basis for growth of the flow of cargo via the Northern Sea Route.

"In particular, the Arctic LNG-2 project whose first line has already been launched, creates a basis for growth of the flow of cargo via the Northern Sea Route," he said.

Novak said earlier that the first batch of LNG was produced at the Arctic LNG-2 project in December 2023 after the commissioning. However, the launch of the project has not been officially announced.

Novak said that the first batch of LNG would be shipped from the plant in February, while Novatek's CEO Leonid Mikhelson said it would be supplied in Q1 2024.

Arctic LNG-2 is Novatek's second LNG project, which stipulates the construction of three LNG production lines, each with a capacity of 6.6 mln tons per year, as well as the production of stable gas condensate at a rate of up to 1.6 mln tons per year. The first and second lines were planned to be launched in 2024, while the third line was scheduled to launch in 2026.