Boxship and LNG Carrier Kick-Off 2025 on Northern Sea Route
Transits of Russia’s Northern Sea Route through the Arctic are resuming with the first container and cargo shipment, followed by the loading of the first LNG gas carrier of the season. It comes as Rosatom, which oversees the operations, is calling for more coordination to accelerate growth along the sea lane.
According to details released by Rosatom, one of the cargo ships operated by FESCO Transport group kicked off the 2025 season, departing the Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port on June 12. The vessel is loaded with 58 tons of general cargo and 235 TEUs. It was scheduled to reach the ports of Egvekinot and Anadyr, both in the Chukotka district this week.
Rosatom highlights that sea transport remains the primary means of delivering goods into the district. The ship is carrying 177 TEU loaded with food products as well as containers with building materials and medicine. During the course of the transit season, they also expect to deliver equipment and consumer goods to the ports.
Further to the north in the Arctic, Kpler is reporting that the first cargo was loaded for the season at Novatak’s Yamal LNG plant. The carrier Georgiy Ushakov (172,600 cbm) loaded and on June 17 moved away from the plant toward the East Siberian Sea. Last year, Yamal shipped over 21 million tons of LNG, and its goal is to continue to increase the shipments, which primarily go to China and Asia.
As the season was launching, Rosatom and FESCO were attending the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and presented on developments in the operation of the route. They highlighted that digital solutions, unmanned technologies, and automated vessel traffic control systems are becoming drivers to expand the navigational capabilities along the route.
“State support and investment programs are aimed at creating a sustainable logistics system capable of providing reliable communication between industrial centers of Russia and foreign markets,” Vladimir Panov, Special Representative for Arctic Development of the Rosatom State Corporation, told attendees. “To maintain the speed of Arctic development, we need coordination of ministries, departments, investors, shipping companies, and shipbuilders.”
The presentation highlighted that Rosatom has formed several new partnerships, including a new federal project which provides for the creation of a single economic and transport-logistics space from the Russian ports of the Baltic to the Pacific coast and Primorsky Krai. Rosatom also formed a partnership with a Chinese shipping company, Newnew Shipping, to launch year-round container service between Russia and China using the NSR waters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has put a high priority on the development of the NSR.