#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Yury Trutnev, deputy prime minister and plenipotentiary of the president in the Far Eastern Federal District, said that the development of the ice transport artery is a systemic condition for the implementation of most Arctic projects.
“The Northern Sea Route makes it possible to import materials and structures, raw materials and finished products for enterprises under construction – in fact, it is sewing the Russian North together. The strategic task is to create a new global transport corridor on the basis of the Northern Sea Route”, noted Yury Trutnev.
The volume of traffic along the NSR is 33 million tons per year and is constantly growing. According to the deputy prime minister, for real competition with the Suez Canal, which transports over a billion tons per year, it is necessary to build icebreakers, improve transport infrastructure, provide satellite communications, Internet, meteorology and ice radar, create a rescue system, build a fleet adapted to Arctic conditions. An important task is to improve the quality of life for people in settlements along the Northern Sea Route.
“Currently, five nuclear icebreakers are piloting ships in the Arctic Ocean waters. By 2026, four more nuclear-powered icebreakers of 22220 project will be launched, and by 2027 – the first icebreaker of the Leader project”, the Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic said.
They want to triple the ice-class cargo fleet by 2030. It is necessary to build more than 30 tankers, 40 bulk carriers and 22 container ships.
In addition, by 2025, three radar satellites will be launched to monitor the ice situation: one for – meteorological monitoring, four spacecraft – for providing Internet and satellite communications. One meteorological monitoring satellite has already entered orbit.
To ensure the reliability and safety of navigation along the Northern Sea Route, rescue stations will be created in Tiksi, Pevek, Sabetta and Dikson. The necessary aviation equipment has already been purchased. Until 2026, 37 billion rubles were allocated for these tasks.
In addition, 3 of the 18 ports on the NSR are currently being upgraded: Pevek, Murmansk and Arhangelsk. Four more are planned to be refurbished by 2024. The construction of the Yenisey terminal, the Utrenny terminal in the Sabetta port and the Sever Buhta port in Taimyr is underway. By 2024, they will be put into operation, and the total cargo turnover of the ports of the Northern Sea Route will amount to 85 million tons.
Yury Trutnev also noted that in order to improve the land transportation of goods, the Northern Sea Route ports are going to be connected to the railway system.
A new stage in the NSR development will be the launch of regular container shipments of fish from the Far East to the European part of Russia in 2022. And in 2023-2024 year-round navigation will begin.
May we remind that Nornickel and Rosatom are planning to develop the icebreaker fleet: the company recently signed an additional agreement with the state corporation. Also we told how it all began: about the first winter voyage along the Northern Sea Route in 1970.
Follow us on Telegram, Instagram and Facebook.
Text: Angelica Stepanova, Photo: goarctic.ru, Alexander Averkiev, EMERCOM of Russia, Rosmorrechflot
