China's NewNew Shipping Line planning to send five transit cargo ships through the Northern Sea Route during the 2023 navigation season

MOSCOW. July 7 (Interfax) - The Chinese company NewNew Shipping Line plans to put 5 ships to sea on a container route between ports in Russia and China in 2023 with transit through the Northern Sea Route (NSR), Ke Jin, the representative of New New Shipping Line in Russia, said at a press conference.

The Northern Sea Route is one of the strategic priorities of cooperation between Russian and China, and the expansion of traffic along this route will strengthen relations between the two countries, he said. "NewNew Shipping Line has always been a reliable partner in logistics. For the period of navigation through the NSR in 2023, we plan to put 4 ships on the Ports of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad-Ports of China route, as well as one ship on the Port of Arkhangelsk-Ports of China route. With the powerful support of Rosatom and the Main Northern Sea Route, we are confident that we will successfully complete the passage along the NSR," he said.

Jin also noted that for the Chinese side, the main thing is speed, and the NSR allows for a reduced sea transportation time of almost a month compared to the Suez Canal. The company plans to put vessels with a container capacity of 1,200 to 2,500 TEU on the route. The last sailing is planned before the end of October, he told reporters.

Special Representative of the State Corporation Rosatom for the Arctic, Deputy Chairman of the State Commission for the Development of the Region, Vladimir Panov, commenting to journalists on questions about icebreaking assistance, said: "We are now seeing great interest in runs along the NSR eastward in the summer-autumn period, from July through October. To ensure safety, we will prepare two nuclear-powered icebreakers, which will be on duty, because it is impossible to predict the weather 100%. The icebreakers will approach the ships if necessary and provide assistance."

Panov noted that the cost of icebreaker duty for shippers and ship-owners is "close to zero:" "It is our direct responsibility to ensure navigation. Therefore, when companies enter into an agreement for navigational support of their runs, icebreaker duty is included. In terms of cost, these are basic figures that do not affect the economy of the cargo runs."