Gazprom's medium-tonnage LNG plant in the Baltic, "Portovaya LNG," which has been hit by Western sanctions and suspended exports, is looking for buyers in Southeast Asia. This was reported by a source from the Kommersant newspaper.
The tanker Perle with a cargo from the plant has been near the coast of Malaysia for about a week, waiting to be unloaded. This is the first commercial vessel from "Portovaya LNG" to leave the plant after the introduction of blocking US sanctions in February 2025. Earlier attempts to supply to China and domestic Russian regasification plants were unsuccessful.
Malaysia may increase LNG imports in the next four to five years due to growing demand for electricity. Russia has already offered investments in infrastructure for gas reception and expressed its readiness to supply. According to experts, LNG imports can be used to maintain existing export contracts, despite the risks of secondary sanctions.
Earlier, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev reported that joint projects with Malaysia are being discussed for the development of the gas market, including the construction of regasification terminals and gas storage facilities. In 2024, Malaysia exported 35.7 million tons of LNG and imported about 3.3 million cubic meters, mainly from Australia.
Currently, Russian LNG plants that have fallen under EU and US sanctions continue to attempt to enter alternative markets. The market is tracking the movement of four tankers from the "Arctic LNG-2" plant, heading to Asia via the Northern Sea Route.
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