In January-May 2021, cargo traffic on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) fell by 0,43%, year-on-year, to 12.8 million tonnes, Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot) says on its Instagram page referring to the Northern Sea Route Administration.
LNG and gas condensate account for 64.5% of the total traffic.
In the reported period, 181 vessels were given permits for navigation in the water area of the Northern Sea Route (4 permits more, year-on-year). The figure includes 40 permits granted to foreign flagged ships (9 permits mor, year-on-year).
NSR waters are covered with compact one-year ice, however the melting has begun. The recommended lanes in the Kara Sea feature average and heavy brash chafed ice, extent of ice destruction – up to 1 point with water openings observed.
Icebreaking operations in the South-Western part of the Kara Sea were performed by nuclear-powered icebreakers Arktika, 50 Let Pobedy, Yamal, Vaigach and Taimyr as well as the Admiral Makarov and Krasin icebreakers.
Icebreaking assistance at Sabetta port was provided by Ob, Tor and Saint-Petersburg icebreakers, at Dudinka port – Dudinka and Avraamy Zavenyagin icebreakers.
At the Arctic Gate terminal of the Novoportovskoye field, safety of operations was ensured by the Andrey Vilkitsky and the Aleksandr Sannikov icebreakers.
In January-December 2020, cargo traffic on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) totaled almost 33 million tonnes of cargo including over 18 million tonnes of LNG.
The target set for 2020 under the federal project “The Northern Sea Route” was as high as 29 million tonnes with the project aimed at the NSR development to reach annual cargo traffic of 80 million tonnes in 2024. “The Northern Sea Route” project is supervised by Rosatom.