During January-August 2023, more than 23 mn tons of cargo was transported by the Northern Sea Route, up 1.5% year-on-year, Vladimir Panov, Rosatom special representative for Arctic Development, said speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok.
The important thing is that transit is returning to the Northern Sea Route, he emphasized. ‘During this navigation, a million tons of transit has already been carried. Cargo from the Baltic designated for Asia is back to the Northern Sea Route. It is quite possible that transit traffic by the Northern Sea Route will be largest historically,’ he added.
There is a large niche of commodities that are currently transport to Russian and Europe by rail and road and that can be carried by the Northern Sea Route, he said.
According to Panov, out of 22 such commodity categories, 15 can be carried by the NSR year-round, including cars, machinery, consumer goods, furniture and electronic goods, while the transportation of such temperature-sensitive goods as drugs, cosmetics, oils and lubricants, some food products is restricted.
‘This year we have been carrying Russian oil and gas from Northwest Russian ports by the Northern Sea Route. But in the near future containerized cargo will be transported. At present, a container line is being set up,’ he said.
Photo: Rosatom