Part of freight from BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway could be transferred to Northern Sea Route, says Yuri Trutnev
The official reminded the cargo flow along the Northern Sea Route is projected to reach 80 million tonnes
The Northern Sea Route could take on part of the cargo currently delivered by the BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway, an official said.
Yuri Trutnev, the Deputy Prime Minister, Presidential Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District said this in the his welcoming speech on the occasion of the Northern Sea Route 90th anniversary.
According to the Decree of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, by 2024 the cargo flow along the Northern Sea Route should reach 80 million tonnes per year.
“I am sure that these indicators will be achieved. With Russia's turn to the East, the NSR has a chance to become even more in demand, taking on part of the cargo from the BAM and the Trans-Siberian. The importance of the main water artery of the country cannot be overestimated,” Yuri Trutnev was quoted as saying.
On December 15, the Rosatom State Corporation announced that the target indicator for cargo traffic on the NSR of 32 million tonnes, specified in the Development of the Northern Sea Route Federal Project was reached ahead of schedule. In total, according to the company, in 2022, the cargo traffic along the NSR can reach 34 million tonnes.
The bulk of the loads was crude oil and oil products (7.2 million tonnes), LNG and gas condensate (20.5 million tonnes), coal (295 000 tonnes), ore concentrate (43 500 tonnes), break bulk cargo (4.2 million tonnes).
The Eastern railway operating domain includes the 9.300-km long Trans-Siberian Railway and the 4.300-km long Baikal-Amur Railway. Russian Railways (RZD) said that in 2022 the volume of freight traffic through the Eastern domain will exceed 150 million tonnes.
Rosatom has been the infrastructure operator of the Northern Sea Route since 2018. The State Corporation also operates the world’s only nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet. The Ministry of Transport and its subordinate agency will be responsible for issues related to regulation, international activity, control and supervision. The Glavsevmorput was established in the year of the 90th anniversary of the Soviet Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route, which was created for the national economic development of the Arctic and ensuring navigation along the Northern Sea Route.