Rosatom signed a deal with Hainan Yangpu NewNew Shipping to jointly operate the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and to design and build new ice-class container ships for this purpose.
This agreement, signed at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, aims to expand NewNew's operations along the NSR, which saw seven voyages in 2023 and is projected to increase to 12 in 2024.
Vladimir Panov, Rosatom’s special representative for Arctic Development, emphasized the route's growth and outlined Rosatom’s future plans. He stated, “Our primary objective is to construct up to five Arctic-class vessels, enabling year-round operations on the Northern Sea Route.”
Rosatom anticipates a record cargo flow of three million tonnes through the NSR in 2024, with the ultimate goal of transporting 50 million tonnes annually under the new agreement.
