Vitaly Klyuev forecasts up to 50 large ships and 200 service fleet units to operate permanently on NSR in years ahead

In the nearest years, the Northern Sea Route (NSR) will see about 40-50 permanently operating large ice-class ships and some 100-200 ships of the service fleet. Those vessels will require icebreaker assistance, IAA PortNews correspondent cites Vitaly Klyuev, Director of the Department of State Policy for Maritime and River Transport, RF Transport Ministry, as saying at the international conference “Arctic Dialogue” organized by the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, information agency Regnum, Media Group PortNews and Russia-Baltic Media Center.

According to the speaker, Yamal LNG alone will require involvement of 17 large capacity carriers and dozens of service ships. The second turn of the Yamal LNG project will require as much vessels. 

Vitaly Klyuev emphasized that “although vessels carrying energy resources are built specially for those Arctic project, they cannot ensure round-the-year navigation on their own. Powerful icebreakers are required and the icebreaking fleet is under construction”.

IAA PortNews earlier told about several 16-25 MW icebreakers built in recent years, 60 MW icebreaker Arktika which is under construction (the world’s largest icebreaker) and a project on construction of a 110-120 MW Leader-class icebreaker designed by Krylov State Research Center. 

The Ministry of Transport believes that the development of the Northern Sea Route will be driven by energy projects of the Russian Federation, added Vitaly Klyuev. Implementation of some projects is underway with Yamal LNG at port Sabetta being the key project. Construction works at the port will be completed in 2017 with first shipment scheduled for the end of the year. The project potential is 16.5 mln t of LNG and about 2 mln t of gas condensate per year. 

Vitaly Klyuev also reminded about the Novy Port terminal put on into operation in 2016. There are other Arctic projects – second turn of Yamal LNG on the other side of the Gulf of Ob which is to have similar capacity, Chaika coal terminal being developed near Dikson port, etc.