The optimal price for the services provided by Atomflot for pilotage on the Northern Sea Route (the Northern Sea Route) should be slightly higher than the service price charged for transit through the Suez Canal, Atomflot’s CEO Vyacheslav Ruksha said in an interview with journalists at the Chukotka port of Pevek, PortNews IAA correspondent reports.
"If the price of our services is slightly higher than the price for transit the Suez Canal then cargo owners will be glad to use the northern shipping lane", - pointed out Mr. Ruksha.
According to him, part of Atomflot’s ships are lying idle during the summer, so, the more voyages along the Northern Sea Route, the lower the price for ice-breakers service. For example, Mr. Ruksha said, the icebreaker 50 Years of Victory can escort more than one tanker at a time along the NSR.
"If the price of our services is slightly higher than the price for transit the Suez Canal then cargo owners will be glad to use the northern shipping lane", - pointed out Mr. Ruksha.
According to him, part of Atomflot’s ships are lying idle during the summer, so, the more voyages along the Northern Sea Route, the lower the price for ice-breakers service. For example, Mr. Ruksha said, the icebreaker 50 Years of Victory can escort more than one tanker at a time along the NSR.
As CEO and President of Sovcomflot Sergey Frank said at the press conference in Pevek, the passage of a vessel on the Northern Sea Route saves about 45% of the time compared with the alternative route via the Suez Canal. According to the Novatek’s Board Chairman Leonid Michelson, the total cost of transportation of seaborne cargo from the White Sea to the Asia-Pacific Region (APR) along the southern shipping lane via the Suez Canal costs about $50 a ton. He said, “in 2011 Novatek expects to save at least 10-15% on transportation through the Northern Sea Route”.
Sergei Frank added that Sovcomflot had planned voyages of Suezmax and Panamax class tankers for 2011 along the Northern Sea Route.
As PortNews IAA had earlier reported, the Suezmax vessel should be of 1A Super Ice Class, so the tanker could sail through the 1-meter-thick ice fields, up to 10 points.
Earlier, the SCF Baltica tanker had reportedly arrived one day ahead of schedule at the port of Pevek (Chukotka, Russia) with 70,000 tons of gas condensate aboard (the cargo owner – Novatek JSC). The ship is bound for the port of Ningbo (China).
Sergei Frank added that Sovcomflot had planned voyages of Suezmax and Panamax class tankers for 2011 along the Northern Sea Route.
As PortNews IAA had earlier reported, the Suezmax vessel should be of 1A Super Ice Class, so the tanker could sail through the 1-meter-thick ice fields, up to 10 points.
Earlier, the SCF Baltica tanker had reportedly arrived one day ahead of schedule at the port of Pevek (Chukotka, Russia) with 70,000 tons of gas condensate aboard (the cargo owner – Novatek JSC). The ship is bound for the port of Ningbo (China).