Transit cargo traffic along Northern Sea Route down 4.3 times to 274,300 t in 2014

In 2014, transit cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route dropped 4.3 times, year-on-year, to 274,300 t, RF Ministry of Transport says. In 2013, there were 37 transit voyages including 25 voyages by vessels flying foreign flags while the year of 2014 saw only 23 transit voyages along NSR including only 6 voyages by foreign vessels. All in all, they carried 274,300 t of different transit cargoes including 185,400 t of liquid bulk cargo (down 4.5 times) and 88,900 t of dry cargo (down 3.8 times).

Total cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route climbed by 31.6%, year-on-year, to 3.7 mln t  including 2.51 mln t of general cargo (up 1.5 times), 230,200 t of coal (-45%, year-on-year), 80,800 t of ore (up 2.4 times), 757,100 t of oil products (+24.9%) and 124,600 t of gas condensate (-1.4%).

The majority of cargo was transported by west-to-east direction - 185,400 t (only liquid bulk cargo) while east-to-west direction saw transportation of 88,900 t of cargo (dry cargo).