China as a Key Market: Where Is Russian LNG Headed Now?
15 April 21:50
The Russian company Gazprom has shipped a second cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China following a hiatus caused by sanctions.
The shipment originated from the Portovaya plant on the Baltic Sea.
This was reported by Reuters , according to [Komersant].
Delivery details
According to vessel tracking data:
- the LNG carrier Valera (formerly Veliky Novgorod)
- loaded LNG on January 25
- delivered the cargo to the terminal in Beihai (China)
This is the second shipment since exports resumed. The first was made in December 2025.
Why was there a downtime?
The Portovaya plant was launched in September 2022 and has a capacity of 1.5 million tons of LNG per year.
However, exports were effectively halted following new U.S. sanctions in January 2025 aimed at limiting Russia’s energy revenue amid the war against Ukraine.
How shipments changed
Before the sanctions:
- Portovaya shipped up to two cargoes per month (in winter)
After 2025:
- only two shipments to China
- plus approximately one shipment per month to Kaliningrad
This indicates:
- a sharp reduction in export opportunities,
- a refocus on specific destinations.
China and new routes
China is gradually becoming a key buyer of Russian LNG.
Another sanctioned project, the Arctic LNG-2 plant, has also joined the supply chain and is shipping gas to Beihai.
How the markets have changed
When Portovaya began operations, its main destinations were:
- Turkey
- Greece
Over time, the geographic scope expanded to include:
- China
- Spain
- Italy
After the sanctions, the focus shifted toward:
- Asian markets,
- limited and more politically loyal buyers.
Despite the sanctions, Russia continues to seek ways to: maintain energy exports and redirect flows to new markets.
At the same time, global energy markets remain volatile, and countries such as India are considering resuming LNG purchases from Russia.
