Transit cargo on Russia's Northern Sea Route (NSR) is expected to double this year to a record seven million tonnes from 2025, said Vladimir Panov, head of state nuclear corporation Rosatom and deputy chairman of Russia's State Commission for Arctic Development, according to the Interfax news agency.
Rosatom oversees Arctic route operations and oversees a nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet and logistics.
Vladimir Panov said the route offers shippers two main advantages, efficiency and safety. He said that in summer and autumn, the northern passage from Asia to Europe is about 30 per cent shorter than the way via the Suez Canal, which he argued would lower freight costs and speed up ship turnarounds.
Rosatom expects 40 million tonnes of goods to move along the route this year. Panov said the number of transit container cargo shipments doubled this year to 46 from 23 in 2025.
The route runs along Russia's northern coast and is normally open to commercial shipping only from July to October. Ships need Rosatom's icebreaker escorts.
Panov said demand is rising and Moscow plans to make year-round navigation possible. He linked that goal to the ninth nuclear-powered icebreaker, which Rosatom expects to enter service in early 2027.
Panov also pointed to large energy projects as a key driver of growth, naming Novatek's Yamal LNG and Rosneft's Vostok Oil. He said they are expected to increase shipments and require year-round access.
Six oil tankers have already sailed from Vostok Oil, which launched in September, he said.
First oil cargo from Vostok Oil giant project, launched in September, was supplied to China via the NSR, Reuters reported.
"Geopolitically and economically the NSR is now moving to a new stage," Panov said as quoted by Interfax.
Russia's oil exports through the NSR in 2026 have already exceeded last year's by nearly 50 per cent, with some 20 million barrels shipped to Asia from the start of navigation in July to mid-October, Reuters reported.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by David Gregorio)