NSR Shipping Traffic – Activities in May 2022

Shipping activity on the Northern Sea Route in May 2022 was almost on the same level as previous month. In total, 68 vessels made 201 voyages. It is worth noting that the number of voyages of transport vessels was exactly the same as in April, but the activity of icebreaker fleet slightly reduced (see graph on the map).

The main number of voyages was done under the Yamal LNG project – 47 (this includes return voyages). 25 LNG carriers were sent from the Sabetta port to the west: 10 for France, 6 for Belgium, 3 for the Netherlands, 5 for Spain and 1 vessel came to Kildin island (near Murmansk) for the further transshipment. The same number of voyages with LNG (25) was done in April.

34 voyages were made under the second large project in the water area of the NSR – export of oil products from Arctic Gate terminal. 17 vessels shipped from Mys Kamennyy to the Kola Bay for the further transshipment of oil and 17 vessels turned back after unloading.

31 voyages were made for the development of 2 projects – Yamal LNG-2 (Salmanovskoe Field) – 20 – and Vostok Oil (oil and coal terminals in the Yenisey Bay) – 11. In total for these projects, 15 ships of general cargo, container, tanker and bulk vessel type came to the work areas from Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Severodvinsk and Dudinka.

10 icebreakers provided safety on the routes in May – 4 diesel and 6 nuclear icebreakers. The diesel icebreaker Admiral Makarov after the works in the Kara Sea went to the port of Murmansk, as well as Dudinka icebreaker, that left the Dudinka port and arrived to Murmansk on May 23. The icebreaker Kapitan Dranitsyn worked on the route the Kara Sea – Sever Bay – the Barents Sea and continued its work in June. The new diesel icebreaker Viktor Chernomyrdin had ice trials in the Kara Sea and the Yenisey Bay and after that went to the Murmansk port. As for the nuclear icebreaker fleet: 50 let Pobedy worked on the route – the Kara Sea – the Ob Bay, and at the end of the month headed to Murmansk as well as Vaygach icebreaker; the icebreaker Arktika made the channel in the Ob Bay during the whole month and after that also went to the home port; the main work areas for the Sibir icebreaker were the Kara Sea – the Ob Bay – the Yenisey Bay and this icebreaker continued its work in the NSR waters in June together with Yamal and Taimyr.

See below other figures related to the projects on the NSR: