The first state-funded domestic voyage of the year started on July 28 with “Lady D” leaving the port of Arkhangelsk. The voyage is being made as part of the “Development of the Northern Sea Route” federal project under the Comprehensive Plan for the Modernization and Expansion of the Trunk Infrastructure. Earlier, Atomflot carried out a procurement exercise to engage a motor ship of a third-party ship owner.
“We are arranging three state-funded domestic voyages to the Far East this summer-autumn navigation,” noted Leonid Irlitsa, Atomflot Director General. “The route of the first voyage lies from Arkhangelsk through Nakhodka to Murmansk including the calls at the ports of Korsakov, Pevek, Magadan and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. From the Far East to Murmansk, we are delivering fish products.”
“Lady D” is scheduled to arrive at the port of Murmansk on 25 September.
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Rosatom is now considering the development of the Arctic infrastructure and shipping as one of its major tasks. In 2018, the Government of the Russian Federation appointed Rosatom the NSR infrastructure operator and then in December 2019 approved the NSR Infrastructure Development Plan until 2035 worked out by Rosatom.
The NSR international cargo shipping exceeded 2 million tons in 2023. On July 5, Atomflot demonstrated the preliminary outcomes of the winter-spring navigation. From January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024, nuclear icebreakers assisted 438 ship calls (against 435 calls for the same period in 2023) with the total gross cargo tonnage of 50.4 MIO (against 48.6 million tons for the same period in 2023).
In 2022, the Ministry of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic selected Atomflot for state-funded domestic return voyages between the European part of the Russian Federation and the Far East. The comprehensive development of the Russian Arctic is considered a national strategic priority. Increasing the NSR traffic is crucial to reach the shipment goals. This logistics corridor is developing due to regular cargo shipping, construction of new nuclear icebreakers and modernization of the relevant infrastructure. Rosatom companies are actively involved in this work.
