Summer-autumn navigation completed in the Northern Sea Route

The head universal nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika has successfully completed its summer-autumn navigation period by escorting the vessels Pola Dudinka, Mys Dezhnev and the research vessel Grigory Mikheev from the port of Pevek to the Kara Gates.

Currently, the active ice formation process continues in the waters of the Northern Sea Route and both parts of the Kara Sea are iced. Under the escort the ships traveled 1865 miles from east to west. The average speed amounted to 8.3 knots. After completion of the escort the vessels independently proceeded in the direction of the Kara Strait.

‘Rosatomflot together with GlavSevmorput has built an effective model of navigation along the Northern Sea Route during this summer-autumn navigation,’ Atomflot (a part of Rosatom group) Director General Leonid Irlitsa said. ‘The icebreaker repair campaign was implemented by taking into account the needs of our customers. All companies interested in working in the water area received timely icebreaker escort, information and navigation support’.

Russia has the world’s only nuclear icebreaker fleet that provides escort for ships by breaking the channel and maintaining their commercial speed. Today there are seven nuclear-powered icebreakers of three series. The world’s only nuclear-powered container ship Sevmorput is a part of the fleet as well. These vessels ensure NSR’s smooth year-round operation in the western part of the route today.

And Atomflot’s nuclear icebreakers are those that will contribute to the opening of year-round navigation in the eastern sector of the NSR water area as the fleet is being upgraded – five more nuclear icebreakers are planned to be constructed till 2030. Trial winter voyages in this part of the route have already succeeded so in the near future it is planned to ensure continuous cargo delivery in both parts of the NSR.

Rosatom’s plan for the development of the NSR until 2035 implies the creation of the necessary infrastructure: from the construction of icebreaking, hydrographic and rescue vessels to the creation of ports and digital services to improve the efficiency of navigation.