Novatek hoping for year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route in winter 2023-2024, by end-2024 at latest

MOSCOW. May 19 (Interfax) - Novatek is hoping for year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route in winter 2023-2024 or by the end of 2024 at the latest, the gas producer's CEO Leonid Mikhelson said during the New Horizons forum held by Russia's Knowledge association.

"Last year, 31-32 million tonnes were transported along the Northern Sea Route, 21-22 million tonnes of which were Novatek cargoes. The task set by the country's leadership [to increase cargo turnover along the Northern Sea Route] is being fulfilled. Rosatomflot has already received the first two unique LK-60 tankers, and there will be five of them in total. We expect that in the winter of 2023-2024, or in 2024 at the latest, we will achieve year-round traffic on the Northern Sea Route," Mikhelson said.