Baltic LNG may for the first time in 2026 travel to China not via Europe, but directly eastward along the Northern Sea Route. The vessel "Portovy", which is used as a floating LNG storage facility, departed from the "Portovaya" complex for this unusual voyage.
On August 24, it rounded Novaya Zemlya and was heading from the Barents Sea to the Kara Sea.
"Portovy" itself has an Arc4 ice class, while the gas carriers Perle and Valera, which operate with the Baltic project, have a lower Ice2 class.
This will be the first passage of a Russian gas carrier with Baltic LNG bypassing Europe this year. On the one hand, the Northern Sea Route is the shortest way to China, which almost halves the delivery time. On the other hand, the threat of seizure of vessels with Russian oil and gas under sanctions has not disappeared. Restrictions have been imposed on Perle and Valera, although "Portovy" itself is not under sanctions.
The "Portovaya" complex itself is designed to produce about 1.5 million tons of LNG per year. Previously, its products were supplied to European countries, including Greece, Spain, and Belgium.
It should be noted that the Northern Sea Route is significantly shorter than the traditional route through European waters, although difficult ice conditions persist in some sections. Nuclear icebreakers are used to escort convoys.
Until August 2026, all Baltic LNG traveled to Asia exclusively via the Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Suez Canal. No one has yet transported Baltic gas directly through the Arctic.
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