China receives first Arctic LNG 2 delivery

China has received the first cargo from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project at a domestic import facility, according to vessel-tracking data reported by Reuters.

Reuters reported LNG carrier Arctic Mulan moored at the Beihai terminal in southern China on 28 August 2025. This is the first time a vessel carrying Arctic LNG 2 cargo has made a port call outside Russia since the project began operations in August 2024.

Arctic Mulan is a midsize LNG carrier with a capacity of 79,800-m³. Data from VesselsValue shows it was built in 2024 at the Jiangnan Shanghai shipyard and is Russian flagged.

The carrier was sanctioned by the United States on 5 September 2024 and by the European Union on 18 July 2025.

Reuters reported Arctic Mulan had loaded the cargo at a floating storage unit linked to Arctic LNG 2 before sailing to China. The report noted the vessel’s mooring at Beihai represents the first visible delivery of LNG from the project to an end-user import terminal outside Russia.

At the time of publication, Reuters said it could not confirm whether the cargo had been discharged.

Arctic LNG 2 is operated by Russian gas producer Novatek. The project has faced restrictions since the imposition of US and EU sanctions, which have limited its ability to export LNG to international markets.

On the business social media website LinkedIn, Vortexa senior LNG analyst Ashley Sherman noted, “If this cargo discharges, it would end Novatek’s year-long search for a willing buyer – reportedly including offers at up to a 40% discount.

He added, “For China, it indicates a notable shift in political attitude to Russia’s blacklisted LNG megaproject and the associated risks of secondary sanctions.”