Page 12 - Журнал Sozvezdye Review - «СОЗВЕЗДИЕ» #37

– Vyacheslav Vladimirovich, what role does Ro-
satom have in the efforts to increase shipping and
cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route?
– Our core tasks are established in the fundamen-
tal regulatory documents for Russia’s Arctic policies,
the Strategy for the Development of the Arctic Zone
of the Russian Federation, and the NSE development
action plan. And we are, of course, governed by in-
structions from the President and the Prime Minister.
As an infrastructure operator, Rosatom is responsible
for the development of the icebreaking fleet, port in-
frastructure, and navigation and hydrographic sup-
port. Overall, the task before us is to ensure the safe-
ty and stability of year-round cargo transportation
in the Arctic. It is important that there is now unan-
imous approach among decision-makers to the de-
velopment pathways. This is prerequisite to the na-
tion’s maintaining its leadership position as an Arctic
power.
– How do you see the Northern Sea Route de-
veloping? How high is NSR’s strategic importance?

– As I have repeatedly mentioned, the Northern – As you know, the NRS cargo turnover is grow-
Sea Route is Russia’s way to India. It offers a shortcut ing at a rapid pace. We are long past the record of 6.7
to the emerging markets of the Asia-Pacific Region. million tons, set in the Soviet era. The 2020 volume
Increasing the traffic along the NSR is our nation’s of cargo transportation amounted to nearly 33 mil-
strategic task economically and politically. To facili- lion. The plan we have for the development of the
tate it, we need to build more icebreakers and improve NSR infrastructure until 2035 involves three stag-
the infrastructures as what will lead to the uninter- es. Stage one has as its ultimate target the 80 mil-
rupted year-round navigation along the NSR – exactly lion tons of cargo that we mentioned earlier and will
what the Russian industries are looking forward to. run until 2024, relying mostly on western bound car-
– It is established in one of the Presidential De- goes. Stage two, which will run between 2024 and
crees that the NSR cargo targets 80 million tons by 2030, targets to make year-round navigation possi-
2024. Will this figure be achieved or will it have to ble within the entire water area of the NSR. We ex-
be adjusted as projects are getting suspended? pect Rossiya, our most powerful nuclear icebreaker
SOZVEZDYE #37 – At the 2020 meeting in Murmansk, held by the in the family of Project 10510, to be built by this time
Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, to assist the year-round cargo transportation also in
shippers confirmed their plans for the volume of ship- the eastern direction at a competitive speed of at ten
стратегия ments. Novatek expects to be shipping 35.5 million tons, knots minimum; our eastern bound cargoes are esti-
mated at 30 million tons annually. Finally, the third
Rosneft approximately 30 million, Gazprom Neft 6.7 mil-
strategy lion, and Norilsk Nickel 1.7 million tons. Combined with stage, starting after 2030, will lead to international
the projected figures for coastal and transit shipping, the transit traffic.
target of 80 million tons can well be achieved. – The international transit traffic, can you say
– And there’s a cargo turnover of 130 million when the Northern Sea Route might become fully
tons to be achieved before 2035, as is stated in the international?
10 RF Strategy for the Development of the Arctic Zone. – Geographical differentiation is important here.
What are the projects that will make it achieveable? If we are talk about the western sector of the NSR