Demand for transportation along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) will grow as the shipping lane develops, including due to tensions around the Suez Canal. This opinion was expressed by the head of the Russian Ministry for the Development of the Far East, Alexey Chekunkov.
Currently, Russia is implementing large projects for the NSR, including building icebreakers and ice-class vessels, launching navigation satellites into space, and creating the necessary infrastructure, the minister emphasized.
I think we will see an explosive growth in transportation, which, in turn, will drive down prices, making the Northern Sea Route even more attractive.
The current navigation period for the NSR is 4-6 months, so icebreaking assistance is necessary, Chekunkov added. But with the construction of new nuclear icebreakers, 40 emergency rescue vessels, it will be possible to use this route year-round, he noted.
Many countries around the world are already considering the route passing through the seas of the Arctic and Pacific Oceans as an alternative. These are countries in Asia, Africa, and other states that use sea transport for international trade, Chekunkov concluded.
