ST. PETERSBURG, December 8. /TASS/. Shipping companies plan to deliver along the Northern Sea Route in 2024 about 72 million tons of cargo. In 2023, the Northern Sea Route's total traffic is expected to make 36 million tons, Russia's Deputy Minister for Development of the Far East and the Arctic Gadzhimagomed Guseinov said.
"Under binding agreements, we have announced the traffic of 72 million tons for 2024. Generally speaking, according to the targets set by the president, the rate for 2024 is 80 million tons. Clearly, under the external sanctions' pressure, many projects are really very difficult to implement, projects need to be reviewed, equipment suppliers and equipment itself need to be replaced. Surely, this puts pressure on the targets, but quite a number of companies, even in these difficult conditions of the sanctions pressure, do meet their obligations," he said at the Arctic: Present and Future forum.
The plan for the total traffic in 2023 is more than 36 million tons, which is a historical record, he continued. "Earlier, very few people could even believe it," he added.
"This year, we have managed to redirect cargo flows from the southern routes, that is, via the Suez Canal, to the Northern Sea Route (NSR) for a number of companies. <...> For all the players, NSR is getting more understandable and predictable every year," he said.
The Northern Sea Route is the shortest waterway between Russia's European part and the Far East. The distance between the Kara Gate and Providence Bay is about 5,600 km. Noteworthy, it is located completely within Russia's territorial sea and exclusive economic zone. Shipping terms for deliveries from East Asia to Western Europe may be 40% shorter than for alternative routes. A year-round work requires icebreaker support. The Rosatom State Corporation's Atomflot managers the entire nuclear icebreaker fleet.
About the Forum
The 13th international forum Arctic: Today and the Future is running in St. Petersburg from December 7 to 8. The forum is organized by the interregional non-governmental organization Association of Polar Explorers with the support and participation of the Federation Council, State Duma, and the Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant ministries and agencies. The MMC Norilsk Nickel is the forum’s general partner, and the VTB Bank is the event's official sponsor. TASS is the forum's general information partner.