Cargo shipping along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) increased by 1.5 percent to 23 million tons over eight months, and transit cargo is also returning to the route, said Vladimir Panov, Rosatom's special representative for Arctic development, during ‘The World Transport Northern Route’ session at the Eastern Economic Forum.

Panov said that this year the Northern Sea Route continues to be developed, and increases in shipping volumes are already up over last year.

Importantly, transit shipments, which disappeared last year due to the imposition of the sanctions, have returned to the NSR.

"In a few weeks of summer and fall navigation, we have already transported more than 1 million tons of transit cargo across the Arctic Ocean. Cargo from the Baltic Sea to Asia has been shipped via the NSR. It is likely that transit cargo volumes on the NSR will return to historical highs this year," Panov said.

He recalled that the Northern Sea Route has a largeniche of goods, which today go to Russia and Europe by road and rail. Of 22 categories of goods, 15 can be transported year-round, including cars, machinery, consumer goods, furniture and electronics. Specific categories like medicines, cosmetics, oils and engine additives, and some food products are subject to temperature restrictions.

"During this navigation season, we are bringing Russian products from ports in the northwest through the Northern Sea Route, including oil and gas. However, soon, containerized cargo will also be shipped this way. We are working on an international container line along the NSR. Now there is substantive work on the range of cargo possible for transport in terms of storage temperatures and temperature minimums in the Arctic," added Panov.

As reported, cargo shipping along the Northern Sea Route totaled some 34 million tons in 2022. According to plans outlined by the President of the Russian Federation, in 2024 Northern Sea Route shipping volumes should reach 80 million tons.