In 2021, transit cargo traffic on the Northern Sea Route is expected to show a 59-pct growth totaling 2,041,300 tonnes, according to the Northern Sea Route Public Council’s statistics. As of 17 December 2021, transit cargo traffic along the Arctic route totaled 2,009,900 tones, 56% more than in the same period of the previous year. Total cargo traffic as of 17 December 2021 reached 33.59 million tonnes.
|
Year |
Total cargo traffic, thou t |
Change YoY |
Including transit, thou t |
Change YoY |
Number of passages |
|
2018 |
20,180.2 |
- |
491.3 |
- |
403 |
|
2019 |
31,531.2 |
+ 56 % |
697.3 |
+ 42 % |
471 |
|
2020 |
32,978.9 |
+ 5 % |
1,281.0 |
+ 83 % |
418 |
|
2021 (as of 17.12.2021) |
33,586.6 |
Forecast: at least 34 million tonnes |
2,041.3 |
+ 59 % |
Forecast: not less than in 2020 |
The largest contribution to the cargo flow along the Northern Sea Route is made by exports of liquefied natural gas (NOVATEK’s Yamal LNG project) and crude oil (Gazprom Neft’s Novy Port project).
In 2020, the following companies accounted for the largest number of transit voyages and total amount of cargo: COSCO Shipping (China) - 11 voyages eastwards and westwards; Nordic Bulk Carriers (Denmark) - 3 voyages by 75,000dwt ships carrying iron ore concentrate from the eastern ports of Canada to the ports of China and the Republic of Korea; Golden Ocean Management (Norway) 8 voyages by 75,000dwt ships including 5 ships carrying iron ore concentrate from Murmansk to China; Oldendorff Carriers (Germany) - 3 voyages by 75,000dwt ships carrying iron ore concentrate from Norway; GTLK Asia M3 Ltd., subsidiary of State Transport Leasing Company (Russia) - 2 voyages by 105,000dwt ships carrying iron ore concentrate from the eastern ports of Canada to Russian port of Nakhodka and China.
|
Indicator |
2020 |
2021 |
|
Cargo traffic, tonne |
1,281,010 |
2,009,934 |
|
Number of passages, unit |
61 |
86 |
|
including Russian flagged ships, units |
19 |
11 |
|
including foreign flagged ships, units |
42 |
75 |
|
Average time of NSR passage, days |
8,3 |
11,08 |
|
Core cargo, type/tonne |
Iron ore and concentrate /1,004,134 |
Iron ore and concentrate /1,358,583 |
|
The largest ship, tonne |
Loaded – 105,000, bulker In ballast – 113 000 (deadweight), oil tanker |
Loaded - 118 127, bulker In ballast – 121 513 (deadweight), bulker |
In 2021: Golden Ocean Management (Norway) together with SUEK AG (Swetzerland) - 18 voyages by ships of up to 80,000dwt including 10 voyages from Murmansk and 1 voyage from Canada to China to deliver iron ore concentrate; COSCO Shipping (China) - 14 voyages eastwards and westwards to transport general cargo including containers; United Heavy Lift (Germany) - 14 voyages eastwards and westwards to transport general cargo including containers; Oldendorff Carriers (Germany) - 8 voyages by ships of up to 121,000dwt including 6 ships carrying coal and iron ore concentrate from west to east; Wagenborg Shipping (the Netherlands) - 6 voyages eastwards and westwards to transport general cargo including containers.
In 2021, international transit traffic on the Northern Sea Route has been mostly comprised of commodities (iron ore concentrate, timber and coal) carried eastwards and by general cargo including containers carried westwards.