National Sea Transport Highway of Russia. What awaits the Northern Sea Route in the XXI century? Delivery of goods via SMP

23.09.2019

The increased, or rather painful interest of the leading states of the world in the Arctic region, including the Russian Arctic and the Northern Sea Route (NSR), is evident.

June 2016 was marked by several important political and economic events that directly testify to this. Let's start the story in chronological order.

For the first time in the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 18, 2016, the Conference on the economic development of the Arctic was held. And although a number of member states of the Arctic Council, under pressure from the United States, did not take part in it, the countries of the Asia-Pacific Region (APR) willingly did so.

As for the latter, it should be noted here that the interests of these countries in the Arctic are formed in three main areas.

Firstly, it is an increase in knowledge about climate change that can help food production and improve preparedness for natural disasters. Secondly, providing access to the Arctic transport routes, which will reduce the cost of delivering goods during the navigation period. Thirdly, cooperation with other countries in the extraction of natural resources, including in the field of fisheries, in the Arctic seas.

At the meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the issues of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route were not directly formulated, but they were actively discussed on the sidelines of the summit.

During the visit of the President of Russia to China, a huge number of important documents were signed on the creation and provision of transport corridors from continental Asia (China) to Europe. At the same time, the issue of the Northern Sea Route caused a heated discussion.

It is no secret that practically the only country that has already decided on the need to increase the use of the NSR is China, which plans to transport up to 20 percent of its foreign trade cargo via the Northern Sea Route by 2025.

At the same time, the Chinese policy is based on the thesis that Russia does not and cannot have a monopoly on this route, since, according to the norms of international law, the Russian Federation cannot prevent the passage of commercial ships even through its territorial waters.

The special status of the NSR as a zone with a special regime for the passage of ships is interpreted by the Chinese side only as the right of the Russian side to establish a ship insurance regime and offer paid services for providing meteorological and other information, conducting rescue operations and icebreaking support.

There is evidence that the owners of Chinese icebreakers are trying to conclude contracts for escorting Norwegian and German ships. At the same time, Chinese carriers also expect to receive orders for the transportation of goods from ASEAN countries along the NSR.

At the same time, these actions of the PRC are by no means dictated by the desire to capture the niche of transportation along the NSR. Firstly, it will be difficult to implement, and secondly, it may lead to a political conflict with Moscow. The Chinese are stubbornly promoting the idea of creating a joint company to manage the Northern by sea. At the same time, they will be ready to provide investments in the development of infrastructure throughout the NSR.

This idea is actively opposed by the Japanese, Norwegians and Germans, who consider it expedient to create the International Administration of the Northern Sea Route, which will be in charge of all issues related to the use of the NSR, including the transportation of foreign trade goods of the Russian Federation, as well as transportation between Russian regions (for example, shipment of fish products from the Far East of the Russian Federation to the European part of Russia).

And this is absolutely unprofitable for the Russian side, since these transportations are inherently not transit, but internal.

National Sea Transport Highway of Russia

The Northern Sea Route (NSR), in accordance with the Federal Law “On Inland Sea Waters, the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of the Russian Federation” (1998), is defined as “the historically established national unified transport communication of the Russian Federation in the Arctic. Navigation along the NSR routes, including in the Vilkitsky, Shokalsky, Dmitry Laptev, Sannikov straits, is carried out in accordance with this federal law, other federal laws, international treaties of the Russian Federation and navigation rules along the NSR routes approved by the Government of the Russian Federation and published in the Notices to Mariners.

The internal connectivity of the Arctic zone of Russia is low due to a sparse network of cities, the high cost of air and land transport, and poorly developed infrastructure.

The NSR is almost 2 times shorter than other sea routes from Europe to the Far East and back. The length of the main ice route of the NSR from the Novaya Zemlya Straits to the port of Provideniya is 5610 km; The length of navigable river routes adjacent to the NSR is about 37,000 km.

However, long and harsh winter during short and cold summers, they cause difficult ice conditions in the Arctic seas, which is the main obstacle to the passage of ships along significant sections of the route. The most difficult navigation conditions are in areas of large accumulations of heavy ice, which are not completely destroyed even in the warmest months (Taimyr and Ayon ice massifs). Posting of transports here is possible only with the help of icebreakers.

The NSR is the most important part of the infrastructure of the economic complex of the Far North and a link between the Russian Far East and the western regions of the country. It combines the largest river arteries of Siberia, land, air and pipeline modes of transport into a single transport network.

For some areas of the Arctic zone - Chukotka, the islands of the Arctic seas and a number of settlements on the Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) coast autonomous region- sea transport is the only means of transportation of goods and life support of the population. On the direction of Murmansk-Dudinka, year-round navigation is carried out in order to ensure the activities of the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine (MMC).

Brief historical excursion

The role of the NSR for our country is difficult to overestimate. After all, this highway was mastered and equipped exclusively by the efforts of our state and our ancestors. Back in 1525, the first draft of the sea route from the Frozen Sea to the mouth of the Ob was made by the Moscow clerk Dmitry Gerasimov.

The 17th century was one of the key periods in the history of the development of the Arctic and the creation of the Northern Sea Route. Then many expeditions were started, the Arctic seas and straits were discovered.

One of the ideologists of the creation of a sea transport route in the north was the Russian genius M.V. Lomonosov, who in 1763 submitted to the board of the Admiralty a project for the development of the Northern Sea Route. Being a Pomor by origin, Mikhail Vasilyevich had every reason to believe that the creation of the Northern Sea Route would lead to an increase not only in the economic, but also in the military power of Russia in the Pacific Ocean.

With the advent of steam ships, new stage exploration of the Arctic. A special place in the history of the development of the Arctic belongs to Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov.

It was he who first substantiated the possibility of sailing there in the presence of a powerful icebreaker. In his opinion, with the help of an icebreaker, it is possible to lead not only merchant ships to the Arctic, but also the fleet in Pacific Ocean the shortest and most militarily safe route. It was with the direct participation of Admiral Makarov in 1898 that the world's first icebreaker "Ermak" was built.

The First World War clearly demonstrated the high importance of the northern artery for the defense of the country. As a result, in 1915, the construction of the Murmansk port and the railway to Petrograd began. In 1916, the Arctic Ocean Flotilla was formed.

Then two icebreaking ships, manned by military teams, carried out through navigation along the Northern Sea Route from east to west. The passage was completed in two navigations with wintering in the ice at Cape Chelyuskin. This outstanding feat of military sailors marked the beginning of the passage of Russian ships along the Northern Sea Route.

AT Soviet period not only the military, but also the economic interests of the USSR became an incentive for the development of the development of the Northern Sea Route. The infrastructure was built, the vast northern regions of the country were described and explored, and a solid foundation was laid for the industrial development of the rich natural resources of the region.

To the beginning of the Great Patriotic War The Northern Sea Route was already prepared for regular maritime transportation and the passage of warships along it.

In the prewar period, the use of the Northern Sea Route for inter-theatre maneuvers by the Navy was associated with the emergence of a military threat in the east, from Japan, and the need to strengthen the Pacific Fleet. The NSR made it possible already during the Great Patriotic War to provide replenishment combat strength Northern Fleet due to the redeployment of warships of the Pacific Fleet.

However, expeditions to escort warships occurred only sporadically: three expeditions in the pre-war period and one during the war. To organize the transfer of warships along the Northern Sea Route, a polar department was created as part of the Main Headquarters of the Navy.

In the North, two transport sea routes were constantly functioning: an external one, along which goods were transported to the USSR from England and the USA, and an internal one along the Northern Sea Route, with the help of which military supplies were provided to the front from the eastern regions of the country. At the same time, there was also an escort of ships from the Pacific coast of the United States with deliveries under lend-lease.

The NSR is the main factor in the triumph of the Soviet strategy for the development of the Arctic and an effective means of the defense policy of the USSR

The era of the "cold war" that came in the post-war period aggravated to the limit the regional political, military and legal problems in the Arctic, which have developed as a result of the confrontation between the two world systems.

The Soviet Union was forced to reinforce the Northern and Pacific Fleets, whose areas of operational responsibility converged in the Arctic seas. This was achieved at the cost of colossal expenditures of material and human resources.

In an effort to cover part of the costs of maintaining the NSR by receiving currency funds for the escort of foreign ships, the Ministry of the Navy in 1967 initiated the opening of the route for international shipping.

However, no foreign vessel took advantage of the offered services. The lack of sufficient information from Western shipping companies about the profitability and safety of transit along the Northern Sea Route affected.

The Murmansk initiatives of 1987 gave a new impetus to the idea of international transit traffic along the Northern Sea Route. They declared the fundamental readiness of the USSR to provide icebreakers for escorting foreign ships, subject to the normalization of the international situation.

As a result of many years of efforts, by the beginning of the 1990s, a developed system of navigation, hydrographic and hydrometeorological support was created in the Arctic, which significantly increased the safety and carrying capacity of ships in ice conditions.

In 1992, 7 nuclear-powered and 8 diesel-powered linear icebreakers, the Sevmorput nuclear-powered lighter carrier and more than 130 reinforced ice-class transport vessels operated on the NSR.

The volume of cargo transported along the Northern Sea Route was more than 6 million tons per year, which is 5 times higher than the total volume of annual cargo traffic in the foreign Arctic.

The moment of truth in the realization of a serious geopolitical loss

The polar possessions of the USSR accounted for 44 percent of the territory of the Arctic. The weakening of our country's influence in the Far North, which occurred as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, should be assessed as a serious geopolitical loss.

For a number of years in the post-Soviet period, Russia's ability to develop the region was very limited. So, in the period from 1991 to 2003, research in the Arctic was practically not funded in Russia.

Our country had to make significant efforts to restore the lost positions, which was not easy in the face of growing competition among the subjects of world politics for the use of the resources of the region.

De facto, within the framework of the system of geopolitical relations associated with the Arctic, two poles have formed: Russia and all other states. The policy of these states is aimed at reducing Russia's influence in the region.

It must also be recognized that the Russian Federation has not yet had the opportunity to create a coalition from among its supporters and rely on it to defend its interests in the region, while all the other Arctic countries are already politically and economically united within NATO and the European Union.

As a result, Russia actually faced the consolidated position of the Western countries and not only the Arctic ones.

Nevertheless, today the key direction in improving the efficiency of the region's transport system is the development of alternative routes between Europe and Asia, primarily land via Russia and sea via the Northern Sea Route.

Prospects for the development of the NSR

Assessing the prospects for the development of the NSR, it is necessary to take into account several circumstances.

According to experts in the field of transport, a rapid increase in the volume of Eurasian traffic is expected in the coming decade.

As you know, the growth of production volumes by 1 percent entails an increase in the volume of the transport component by 1.5 percent. Due to the rapid economic development of the Asia-Pacific region, the NSR can bring considerable revenues to the budget of the Russian Federation.

The Northern Sea Route allows transportation 1.5 times faster than the traditional route through the congested Suez Canal. The distance traveled by ships from the port of Murmansk to the port of Yokohama (Japan) through the Suez Canal is 12,840 nautical miles, while ships pass only 5,770 miles along the Northern Sea Route.

The route through the Northern Sea Route, in comparison with the route through the Suez Canal, reduces the duration of the voyage by 10 days, in addition, it saves a huge amount of fuel - about 800 tons per average vessel.

One cannot ignore the fact that in recent years Somali pirates have been active in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, which significantly increases the risks and costs associated with ensuring the safety of navigation. As you know, the Strait of Malacca is also very unsafe for the passage of ships, again due to the presence of pirates.

Describing the transit potential of our country, we note that transit through Russian railways can reduce the delivery time of goods by almost 3 times. According to some estimates, route optimization will save APEC economies by 2020 about $300 billion in bilateral trade and about $370 billion in transit between Asia and Europe.

Consequently, participation in the Eurasian transit is beneficial not only for Russia, but also promises serious benefits for many countries. To do this, it is necessary to increase the competitiveness of the Trans-Siberian Railway and attract foreign shippers to transit traffic along the Northern Sea Route.

NSR in conditions of tough geopolitical competition

Predicted Consequences global warming The climate and the prospects for pirate attacks on ships following the southern routes increase the interest of shipowners in the Arctic routes.

However, the NSR will be able to compete with the southern routes only if it is economically viable and its infrastructure ensures the maximum reduction of additional risks when sailing in the Arctic ice.

As for the Northwest Route (NWZ) through the Canadian Arctic as a route for transportation from the west to the east coast of America (instead of a bypass route through the Panama Canal), then, despite all the attractiveness and alternativeness of this transport route, there is a serious problem that cannot be allows you to use it in the same mode as the SMP.

The fact is that on the NWZ, a route of the same length as the NSR, the ice conditions are much more severe. The named route in its western part (the Beaufort Sea) is open towards the Central Arctic Basin, while multi-year pack ice often blocks certain sections of its route, and, therefore, there is no guarantee of safe transit passage in one navigation. In the entire history of the functioning of the NWSC, only about 40 transit voyages were made along it, mainly by icebreakers.

For comparison: up to 20 Russian vessels annually transit through the NSR, up to 200 transports take part in cabotage transportation.

Currently, navigation along the NSR is carried out on a non-discriminatory basis for ships of all states in accordance with the laws and regulations established by the Russian Federation and in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Russia's duty to the world community is to ensure the adoption of measures to prevent and control the ecology of the region in the context of the development of economic activity in the Arctic.

Private carriers are provided with services to ensure safe sailing conditions. This includes escort of vessels by icebreakers, navigation, hydrographic and hydrometeorological support, emergency rescue readiness, and communications.

In view of the above, the interest of foreign shipping companies in the NSR is growing, rather than in the Northwest Route, which runs in Canadian and American waters.

On the one hand, the NSR can become a more economically advantageous alternative to the currently carried out transportation between the ports of Europe, the Far East, Asia and North America. In addition, the NSR is interesting as a transport artery for transporting mineral raw materials from the Arctic regions of Russia.

On the other hand, major geopolitical players seek to establish control over hydrocarbon supplies, which is a more effective way to increase influence than control over production regions, since in this case it is the exporting countries that become dependent and vulnerable.

Therefore, the focus of the confrontation is the struggle not so much for sources of raw materials, but for the most important communications and transportation nodes (pipelines, ports, canals and straits).

Under these conditions, the priority for Russia has become to reduce dependence on transit countries that pursue an unfavorable tariff policy for it or, as it has already happened, blocking the supply of energy resources to recipients from Europe. Concerning Special attention today addressed to the SMP.

In the future, special attention will be paid to building up the efforts of the circumpolar states aimed at creating a unified regional system of search and rescue, as well as efforts to prevent man-made disasters. This is extremely important for the ecology of the region, the protection of especially vulnerable northern nature at sea and adjacent territories.

It is advisable to create the necessary conditions for the NSR to function year-round and for transportation to be carried out exactly on schedule. With the development of the main infrastructure of ports, icebreaking, timber, container, tanker fleets, it is worth counting on a significant increase in traffic along this corridor.

Strengthening security in the region will help increase Russia's competitiveness in the global segment of transcontinental transportation, primarily through the use of the Northern Sea Route. At the same time, we are talking not only about ensuring the pilotage of ships, but also about the creation of transport and logistics complexes.

It is quite clear that in order to solve this problem, it is necessary to link the development transport infrastructure with the strengthening of military and border security in the region.

Developed in modern Russia plans for the use of the NSR, ensuring its sustainable and safe operation are linked to the problems of the socio-economic development of the Russian North and the country as a whole. The planned and implemented measures involve the renewal of the country's sea and river fleet, the fleet of polar aircraft and the modernization of Arctic ports.

Conclusion

According to domestic and foreign analysts, the importance of the Northern Sea Route for Russia is difficult to overestimate. For the economic development of several regions of Russia at once depends on how successful the reconstruction and development of the NSR infrastructure will be, especially in the Arkhangelsk region, Siberia, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and Chukotka.

In addition, for our country, the NSR is not only a promising sea route, but also an effective geopolitical tool that will allow us to solve very, very many things in the Arctic region.

One way or another, for Russia, in the face of a deficit of its own funds, it is necessary to effectively use the unique opportunity to attract excess financial, technological and other resources of the Asia-Pacific countries, involving them in the joint development of hydrocarbon deposits on the Russian Arctic shelf, in the modernization of existing and construction of new international seaports throughout the Northern Sea Route.

And even if the Northern Sea Route does not become economically profitable, the Russian government will need to continue to invest in the infrastructure of the Arctic ports and build icebreakers - to turn, if necessary, the NSR into a strategic foothold for national defense.

Boris Skupov

Infrastructural development of the NSR is planned on the basis of public-private partnership. At the same time, the total throughput capacity of port complexes along the NSR (see map) is planned to be more than doubled in the next 7-10 years. As Medvedev noted, "previously, the use of the NSR was more complete. Both today and in the future, it should work to realize Russia's transport and logistics advantages." Recall that the NSR at least halves the distance between Europe and East Asia in comparison with transportation along the traditional route (Mediterranean Sea - Suez Canal - Indian Ocean). According to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Arkady Dvorkovich, the volume of traffic along the NSR on average for 2012-2014. slightly exceeded 4 million tons per year. But the potential of these transportations in the next 15 years is more than 80 million tons per year.

The main part of the cargo traffic along the NSR (more than 85%) is now made up of Severny Zavoz, deliveries of oil and gas raw materials from the Arctic, and interport cabotage. According to Vladimir Mikhailichenko, executive director of the Non-Commercial Partnership for the Coordination of the Use of the Northern Sea Route, the number of oil tankers navigating the NSR has increased in recent years. He is confident that the future of the Northern Sea Route is behind the transportation of hydrocarbons. Nikolai Osokin, an expert from the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, shares a similar opinion: "The fields that are planned to be developed in Yamal and on the shelf are partially oriented to the Asian market. Therefore, it is planned to build large icebreaker-type vessels for transporting oil and gas along the NSR."

In recent years - in connection with the warming of the climate in the region - Denmark, the USA, Canada are developing analogues of the NSR. In the Arctic regions of these countries, modern terminals are being created, new icebreaking ships are being put into operation; it is also planned to sign long-term contracts with countries or companies interested in cargo transportation along the trans-Arctic "corridors". Therefore, we can expect growing competition in the Arctic for mastering the bulk of international cargo flows.

According to experts from these countries, the total volume of international cargo transportation along the trans-Arctic routes by 2022-2025 will reach will at least double compared to 2014-2015. First of all, these will be the transportation of oil, liquefied natural gas and containerized cargo. Moreover, the growing interest in the use of these routes is manifested in the UK, France, which have islands in the subarctic region, as well as in Japan, China, and South Korea.

“Global and especially “Arctic” warming increases the role of the Arctic as an international transit route,” Sergey Pikin, director of the Energy Development Fund, explained to the RSL. “Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively and promptly develop the transportation sector in the Arctic region of Russia. routes of the shortest transit routes in the Arctic Ocean basin".

A similar opinion about Russian plans was recently expressed by US Special Representative for the Arctic Robert Papp: “Large Russian investments in the development of the Northern Sea Route are justified and make a great impression. ".

According to Baltika-Trans Ltd., the intensity of navigation along the trans-Arctic routes will grow, although they are unlikely to become a full-fledged alternative to the Suez or Panama Canals. And the choice by the shipowner of a specific route through the Arctic will depend primarily on the cost of ice assistance.

Infographics RG /Maria Pakhmutova/ Alexey Chichkin

The company "A-Service" offers services for the delivery of cargo on a regular annual basis to the Chukotka Autonomous District along the Northern Sea Route. We carry out delivery to the port points of the Northern Sea Route, as well as unloading on the unequipped coast of the coast of Chukotka, about. Boiler room. m. Schmidt, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands.

A significant part of the points on the coast of the Arctic and the Far East, where the delivery of goods is required, are not ports, but unequipped coasts. Some of them are located at a considerable distance from the base ports. For most of these points, the only mode of transport is by sea.

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We accept for transportation

general, bulk and dangerous goods;
food products and supplies;
building materials and structures;
20 and 40 foot containers, refrigerated containers from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Vladivostok;
oversized and heavy equipment;
groupage cargo;
machine parts, modules, industrial equipment;
metal structures and building materials;
cars and special equipment;

We offer cargo delivery to the regions of the Far North as part of summer navigation along the route Arkhangelsk port - Pevek port, along the Northern Sea Route. This way allows us to reduce the cost of transporting goods to our customers from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities of the European part of the country.

Professional relationships with ship owners and charter brokers in the market allow our company to offer a quality service for chartering ships.

Navigation periods are: in Pevek - from July to October, in Provideniya - from July to November, in Beringovsky and Egvekinot - from July to early and mid-October, in Anadyr - from July to October.

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On October 18, in Arkhangelsk, the ship ARKTIKA-2 was again put under loading. The ship was supposed to make the last voyage in the navigation of 2018 and deliver cement and oversized equipment to Pevek. The loading took […]

Northern Sea Route

Northern Sea Route is one of the most promising areas in modern Russian logistics. This is the shortest sea route between the European part of Russia and the Far East. The NSR serves the ports of the Arctic (including the port of Sabetta under construction) and major rivers Siberia. The Russian section of the international transport corridor stretches along the northern coast of the Russian Federation from Murmansk to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

The Northern Sea Route is a complex of several shipping routes. The extent does not have a constant value and depends on seasonal changes in the thickness and location of the Arctic ice. More than 70 major ports and points are known.

NSR - characterized as "a single national transport highway of Russia in the Arctic"

V. V. Putin

The Northern Route runs along the seas of the Arctic and Pacific (partly) oceans. These are the Kara, East Siberian, Barents, Bering and Chukchi Seas, the Laptev Sea. The path runs along the coast of Siberia. The routes connect Russian and Far Eastern ports, the mouths of the Siberian navigable rivers into one transport system.

The main ports of the Northern Sea Route

Key ports of the Northern Sea Route

Dixon;
Igarka;

The sea ports of Chukotka, except for the port of Anadyr, do not have their own medium and large-capacity fleet, their main task is to handle cargo arriving in two directions: western (from Murmansk and Arkhangelsk) and eastern (from Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Vanino, Magadan, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky , ports of Sakhalin).

Seaport of Pevek

Location: Chaunsky district of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
General characteristics: services for unloading, loading of sea transport vessels, agency services, transportation of general and bulk cargoes within the Chaun Bay.

Anadyr sea port

Location: Anadyrsky district of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
General characteristics: services for unloading, loading of sea transport vessels, agency services; river transportation of general, bulk, liquid cargoes to the points of the headwaters of the rivers Anadyr, Kanchalan of the Anadyr region, intraestuary transportation of goods.

Sea trade port of Beringovsky

Location: located in the southern part of the Bering Sea in the northwestern part of Ugolnaya Bay on the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
General characteristics: offshore cargo handling port, reloading of incoming / outgoing cargo, cargo transportation between the ports of Eastern Chukotka. In particular, the main activities include handling and maintenance of transport vessels, storage of goods in port warehouses.

Seaport of Providence

Location: located in the Eastern part of the Chukotka Peninsula on west bank Komsomolskaya bay.
General characteristics: specializes in the processing of general, bulk cargo arriving during the navigation period, there are two berths for processing.

Seaport of Egvekinot

Location: Iultinsky district of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
General characteristics: loading and unloading operations, transportation of goods by our own fleet, warehouse operations with goods.

Why did we choose this direction

An alternative route is through the Suez or Panama Canals. The distance from the port of Murmansk to Yokohama (Japan) via Suez is 12,840 nautical miles. Along the Northern Sea Route, this distance is only 5770 nautical miles. The distance from the port of Economy (Arkhangelsk) to the port of Pevek is 2500 nautical miles.

The average travel time along the Northern Sea Route from Arkhangelsk to Pevek is 10-16 days, depending on the ice conditions.

The main users of the Northern Sea Route in Russia today are Norilsk Nickel, Gazprom, Lukoil, Rosneft, Rosshelf. Already in 2013, the volume of transportation along the NSR amounted to 1.35 million tons. In 2014, it is planned to transport about 5 million tons, and in the future to bring this figure up to 50 million tons per year. These are huge numbers and the amount of cargo.

Benefits of using the Northern Sea Route

reduction of travel time reduces the cost of staff salaries and reduces the cost of chartering the vessel;
fuel economy;
there is no payment for the passage of the vessel (icebreaking dues are paid);
there are no queues;
there is no risk of attack by pirates;
There is no limit on the size of ships.

We offer cargo transportation to such popular ports as Dixon, Tiksi, Chersky, Pevek, and many others, transportation is carried out taking into account all climatic features.

JSC "Universal Marine Company Arktika" delivers cargo along the Northern Sea Route from the European part of Russia to most settlements of the Far Eastern District located along the coast. We deliver any goods to areas inaccessible to other modes of transport at low and favorable rates and provide all a complex of logistics, forwarding and storage services.

The geography of our activity covers all popular ports of the northern region - Dikson, Tiksi, Chersky, Pevek and other settlements. Any goods are accepted for shipment without restrictions on volume and dimensions. We organize northern shipping of general, bulk, oversized and dangerous goods, special equipment, spare parts, metal structures and building materials.

Transportation along the NSR - reliable and inexpensive

U.M.C.A. is a direct charterer of icebreakers that has established mutually beneficial cooperation with all major ports and shipowners. This allows us to offer our customers particularly attractive conditions for transportation along the Northern Sea Route – affordable prices, optimal scheme route and guarantee of cargo safety:

we charter only modern off-road vessels with excellent technical equipment. Icebreakers operate according to a predetermined schedule, which guarantees timely delivery along the NSR at the appointed time and without delays on the way. You can check the schedule for each port on our website;
in any of the points of departure and destination, all the necessary services are provided: weighing, consolidation, cargo safety control, etc.;
transportation along the NSR is carried out taking into account the harsh climatic conditions inherent in the northern Arctic sea route. If necessary, our experts will give recommendations on the best packaging for your cargo.

We have extensive experience in shipping cargo along the Northern Sea Route, which allows us to organize delivery with minimal risks.

The whole range of services

JSC "Universal Marine Company Arktika" appreciates its customers and does everything to provide quality service in the transportation of goods along the Northern Sea Route. Our company practices an integrated approach to the organization of transportation, therefore, in addition to delivery, we:

we arrange everything Required documents to escort cargo along the NSR;
we provide services for the accumulation, storage and transshipment of any consignments of goods both at the points of departure and at the ports of destination;
we calculate the optimal transportation scheme to reduce delivery times along the Northern Arctic Sea Route;
We carry out loading and unloading of cargo.

Also, one of our activities is multimodal transportation by the Northern Sea Route. This service includes the organization of freight, forwarding, clearance of cargo and its subsequent delivery to the destination by a suitable mode of transport. Our experts will develop an individual route for transportation, taking into account the nature of the cargo and the requirements for transportation.

Turning to U.M.C.A., you can be sure of the reliable and timely delivery of your goods to their destination via the NSR (Northern Sea Route).

Choosing us, you can be sure of the reliability of transportation of your cargo.

At present, Russia is interested in turning the Northern Sea Route into a line of communication open to international trade.

Alexander Timofeev

The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is a historically established national unified transport communication of the Russian Federation in the Arctic and, thus, belongs to its exclusive jurisdiction. Since Soviet times, the NSR has been a vital artery for Russia, both economically and in social relations. Currently, the NSR is actively used by Norilsk Nickel, Lukoil, Gazprom, Rosneft, Rosshelf, Novatek and others to supply their factories, mines and oil and gas fields and export products from there. The Northern Sea Route is one of the main routes of the so-called "northern delivery" - the organized delivery of food, consumer goods and fuel to Russian cities and towns in the Far North.

In Soviet times, the NSR was a completely internal maritime communications, closed to international navigation. However, with the beginning of the melting of the Arctic ice, the NSR becomes more accessible for navigation. At present, Russia is interested in turning the Northern Sea Route into a line of communication open to international trade. Russia spends huge amounts of money on maintenance of the Arctic fleet (especially icebreakers) and port infrastructure and therefore needs additional income. As the scale of international shipping grows, the cost of domestic Russian trade will also decrease.

Competitive advantages of NSR

It is well known that the melting of the ice cover in the Arctic will contribute to a significant reduction in transport costs as a result of the fact that travel time from Western Europe to Japan or China will be reduced by 20-40%. It will be possible to provide faster communication between all Asian cities north of Hong Kong and Europe via the Arctic rather than through the Suez Canal. Thus, Japan, Korea and China are more interested in the potential benefits from the opening of the NSR than the countries of South Asia, such as India.

Thus, the distance between Hamburg and Yokohama, which, if moving through the Suez Canal, is 18,350 kilometers, would decrease to 11,100 kilometers when passing through the Northern Sea Route, which theoretically reduces travel time from 22 to 15 days, or by 40 percent. The distance between Rotterdam and Shanghai would be reduced from 22,000 kilometers (if you sail around the cape Good Hope) up to 14,000 kilometers when using the NSR. The changing situation in the Middle East, especially after the Arab Spring began there in 2011, the congestion of the Suez Canal, the growing tension in the Strait of Hormuz, pirate attacks in the Horn of Africa and other adverse events serve as an incentive to search for new alternative routes.

The route from Russia to the shores of the North American continent could also become shorter if you sail through the Arctic. Along the Bering Strait, the distance between Murmansk and Vancouver is only 9,600 kilometers, and through the Panama Canal - 16,000 kilometers.

Weaknesses of the Northern Sea Route

Contrary to the optimistic expectations of many Russian specialists and officials, some international experts point out that navigation along the NSR is associated with a number of significant difficulties:

Difficult ice conditions. Ice cover can quickly form in a variety of places, taking ship crews by surprise, which reduces the predictability of navigation. In addition, the melting of ice in the Arctic is associated with the formation of icebergs, and the risk of collision with them is not decreasing, but may increase.

Navigation in extreme climatic conditions and during the polar night it is difficult from a technical point of view, since it requires ice-class vessels, including icebreakers.

Numerous administrative and technical difficulties, including those related to the need for foreign ship owners to pay for the charter of icebreakers, weather reports and information on ice conditions, as well as the work of Russian pilots to guide ships through the straits. Many international shipping companies consider these costs to be overpriced.

The cost of insurance is usually very high, as international insurance companies have to take into account the unpredictability of the NSR in terms of the terms and conditions of cargo transportation.

The underdevelopment of the rescue system, which has limited coverage. The number of deep water ports capable of receiving ships in need of repair is limited. At the same time, the risk of collisions due to the unpredictability of ice conditions and the lack of properly marked fairways is still high.

However, all these shortcomings do not prevent Russia from developing far-reaching plans for the development of the Northern Sea Route and do not reduce the interest in this important Arctic route from foreign companies, primarily from the countries of Northeast Asia (NEA). So, during 2013-2014. South Korean experts conducted a comprehensive multifactorial study of the competitiveness of various routes for the transportation of foreign trade goods of the Republic of Kazakhstan with Europe, including along the Northern Sea Route.

The routes were evaluated by quantitative and qualitative indicators. Quantities included distance, transit time, and cost per 20-foot container. Qualitative indicators include: transport services (timely delivery of goods, flexibility, frequency of flights, information service); security (transport security and cargo security); awareness (perception of the route by senders and carriers).

In terms of quantitative indicators, having the highest cost of transportation, the Northern Sea Route certainly outperforms its competitors in terms of distance and time of transportation. When evaluating the routes in terms of quality indicators, the NSR was in fifth place, surpassing only the Busan-Vanino-Trans-Siberian route. Meanwhile, the significance of gaining time and distance turned out to be so high that, in terms of the totality of quantitative and qualitative indicators, the NSR eventually yielded only to the route involving the shipment of goods via the Trans-Korean railway through the DPRK with further transportation along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Thus, despite the high cost and problems with the provision of services, the Northern Sea Route turned out to be more competitive for the transportation of goods from South Korea to Europe than the route passing through the Suez Canal. Moreover, given the actual failure of the Trans-Korean Railway project due to the aggravation of relations between Seoul and Pyongyang, the Northern Sea Route is the leader in terms of competitiveness, bypassing all other lines.

The Arctic is of great interest to the state of NEA, with economic interests occupying the first place in the list of priorities, namely natural resources, transportation and logistics. In second place are geopolitical aspects closely related to military-strategic issues, and in third place are ecology, climate and other research projects, including theoretical studies and practical use results.

The interest of the NEA countries in the natural resources of the Arctic is due to at least two reasons: the relative shortage of such resources in the NEA and their abundance in the Arctic. In connection with the increase in the export potential of the countries of Northeast Asia, all greater value also acquire their logistics and transport interests in the Arctic, since the transportation of goods through the Arctic gives a significant gain in distance and time.

The fundamental question that key value for Russia's cooperation with the countries of Northeast Asia in the Arctic region, is the status of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route. For the NEA countries, the preferred concept of "internationalization", promoted by the US representatives, consists in proclaiming the Arctic a "wealth of mankind", which should be used and preserved by joint efforts, and the Northern Sea Route as an international transport route free for navigation. At the same time, representatives of the NEA states prefer not to insist on the internationalization of the Northern Sea Route, trying to achieve participation in its development together with Russia. At the same time, however, representatives of the PRC intend to obtain from the Russian Federation that China, as a "strategic partner", be given special rights to work on the Northern Sea Route. In this regard, it is likely that Russia will have to make a difficult choice between cooperation with China as a key strategic partner and protecting its national interests in the Arctic. It is worth noting, however, that the development of cooperation with other countries of Northeast Asia - South Korea and Japan - may well help curb China's aspirations.

Japanese interests in the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route

The Arctic policy of Japan is determined by the desire to ensure the promotion of its interests in three key areas: access to the hydrocarbon resources of the Arctic shelf, the use of marine biological resources of the Arctic, and access to the Northern Sea Route to ensure the transportation of its foreign trade cargo, including the delivery of hydrocarbons.

As part of the work to gain access to the resources of the Arctic, Japan seeks to strengthen cooperation with the subarctic states in order to guarantee its participation in promising projects for the development of hydrocarbon and other deposits. At the same time, Tokyo understands that they cannot claim any independent extraction of resources, since all the main areas of responsibility have already been divided. For Japan, it is important to ensure the regulation of the process of participation in the development of natural resources and to prevent an imbalance in relations between the Arctic countries, which is fraught with a violation of plans for the implementation of projects. Japan considers scientific research, investment, technology, and cargo transportation to be the main way to participate in the development of the Arctic.

Participation in the transportation of goods along the Northern Sea Route is considered by Japanese experts to be one of the most relevant and promising areas of cooperation with Russia, given the expected start of supplies of liquefied natural gas from the Yamal LNG project. In transportation, LNG intends to accept Active participation Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, ltd (MOL), which will work together with the Chinese company China shipping development company and has already signed a contract in 2014 with the South Korean Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering for the construction of four icebreaking tankers of the highest ice class Arc7 (can operate at temperatures of -50 degrees and to pass ice up to 2.1 m thick without icebreaking support) for LNG transportation. The decision to work together with the Chinese is due to the fact that the Japanese company wants to gain experience of navigation in polar conditions through this cooperation. In addition, cooperation with a Chinese company is partly motivated by political considerations, since without this it would be more difficult for a Japanese carrier to join the ranks of carriers along the NSR.

However, in the future, MOL plans to expand the volume of transportation on its own, which will be possible if Japanese companies participate in the implementation of projects for the development of Arctic resources. In particular, the Japanese are still hoping to get an opportunity to participate in the Yamal LNG project, in which the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) is showing interest. In addition, JOGMEC is actively exploring opportunities to participate in other promising projects, in connection with which, at its request, the Japanese Information Center for Petroleum Exploration and Production (ICEP) in February 2015 prepared a special research report assessing potential hydrocarbon reserves in the Arctic and the most promising projects.

It should be noted that the Japanese consider the idea of the internationalization of the Northern Sea Route promoted by the United States to be quite beneficial for them, but at the same time they consider it inappropriate to actively support it. Tokyo's position on this issue boils down to the fact that until the status of the Northern Sea Route is somehow determined and formalized legally, it is necessary to resolve all issues regarding the use of this route with Russia and on the terms of the Russian side.

According to Japanese experts, the prospects for using the Northern Sea Route are due to both the shorter length of this route and its greater safety compared to other options. When using the NSR, the savings in distance, depending on the points of departure and destination, range from 30 to 40 percent. However, it is noted that the real financial savings from using the NSR is less than what would be expected based on the distance. First of all, Japanese experts note that the speed of vessels along the Northern Sea Route when using icebreakers is much lower than along the southern routes, which, accordingly, increases the time for cargo to pass. Even without the use of icebreakers, which is possible only for a limited period of time, the speed is still lower. In addition, to ensure traffic safety on the Northern Sea Route, it is necessary to use ice-class vessels, the operation of which is much more expensive than conventional tankers, dry cargo ships, etc. As a result, fuel savings from using the NSR as a shorter route are minimized by freight costs determined by travel time and vessel type. At the same time, insurance fees charged by international insurance companies when using the NSR often turn out to be higher than fees when using the Suez or Panama Canals.

However, even under these conditions, the Japanese consider the use of the NSR promising, especially for the transportation of minerals, oil and gas from the Arctic fields. As for conventional cargo, according to Japanese experts, the competitive advantages of the Northern Sea Route can be used in the early formation of large batches of container cargo for transportation during the summer navigation period. Ideally, in order to increase the attractiveness of the NSR for shippers, the Japanese consider it necessary to reduce freight rates by 20 percent, including through lower rates for icebreaking assistance.

It should also be noted that participation in the development of the Northern Sea Route is considered by the Japanese as a measure necessary to counter China's plans to control key transport flows between Europe and Asia through the implementation of the New Great Silk Road project, parts of which should eventually become land Silk Road(the highway from China through Central Asia and Russia to the EU), the Maritime Silk Road (the southern transport route across the Indian Ocean) and the Northern Silk Road (the Northern Sea Route, the end points of which in Asia will be the port of Dalian, as well as the city of Hongchun, Jilin Province - as transshipment land base). Meanwhile, the Japanese would like to create a transport hub for the Northern Route in Hokkaido.

In the fall of 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaking at a meeting of the government of the country, noted that the main task of the Cabinet of Ministers in the framework of the implementation of the new Arctic strategy is to ensure a special role for Japan in the operation of the Northern Sea Route, which involves the promotion of Hokkaido as a key point of the NSR. As part of the implementation of this task, special emphasis is planned to be placed on the development of the Tomakomai port as a transshipment point for container transportation of goods along the Northern Sea Route. According to Japanese experts, the location of this port allows it to be positioned as a base point where consignments can be formed for shipment via the NSR. Thus, a large container ship can cover the distance from Tomakomai to Murmansk in two weeks, which makes it possible to make a round trip in a month. With an estimated opening of navigation within five months, one container ship can carry out five such trips in both directions.

According to Japanese experts, the main competitors of Tomakomai - Busan and Shanghai, also claiming to be the transit points of the Northern Sea Route, are located much to the south, which significantly lengthens the route and, accordingly, reduces the number of flights that can be carried out along the NSR in summer navigation. When using Tomakomai, delivered goods can be transported from this port in any direction. In addition, the Hokkaido ports of Kushiro and Nemuro can be used as shelters for ships in the event of storms as an added benefit.

Plans Russian authorities The Japanese are somewhat skeptical about the development of the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky as a transit container port-hub for the accumulation and sorting of container lots intended for transportation from the Northern Sea Route, noting that Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is unlikely to be able to compete with Tomakomai in terms of cost and working conditions. As the Japanese believe, the development of the Kamchatka port will most likely be associated with servicing cargoes of Russia's foreign and domestic trade, while Tomakomai will focus primarily on servicing transportation between the Asia-Pacific countries and Europe.

Beijing's Arctic Interests

China began to deal with the problems of the Arctic region in the mid-1980s. Then the main were environmental and research areas. However, since 2008, the first attempts to form a centralized Arctic strategy have been noted, and a systematic study of the Arctic direction has begun in the academic environment. Already since 2009, in Chinese studies, one can notice a transition from studying natural and climatic problems to assessing the commercial, political and military consequences of the development of the Arctic and the impact of these processes on the state.

The main reason for the increased Chinese interest in the Arctic is definitely economic. First of all, this is due to the interest of the PRC in the rich natural resources of the region. The state, with its rapid industrial growth, turned out to be dependent on energy imports, most of which comes from the unstable Middle East. That is why China is interested in diversifying energy sources. The PRC is pursuing an active policy aimed at ensuring uninterrupted supplies of energy resources for national economy. In this regard, Chinese scientists write that "participation in the development of the richest reserves of natural resources in the Arctic will help maintain China's energy security and is our strategic choice." The development of Arctic energy resources is of strategic importance for China. Since most of the natural resources of interest are located on the territory of Russia, the strengthening of Sino-Russian energy cooperation in the Arctic will provide "energy replenishment" of China, reduce economic risks, contribute to the strategic adjustment of the country's energy structure and ensure energy security. Therefore, "joint participation in the development can become the basis for the development of bilateral energy cooperation in the Arctic."

The PRC is an export power, and its economic interests are connected with the delivery of goods to Europe and North America. An additional factor Pushing China to reduce its costs of transporting goods is the prospect of increasing the cost of labor in the country, and, as a result, the cost of exported goods. The main thing that Beijing is paying attention to is on the way to the Northern Arctic Ocean: Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route. The Chinese believe that the NSR is the most cost-effective way to ship Chinese goods to Europe. In this area, China is also actively cooperating with Russian companies. In November 2010, CNPC entered into a long-term strategic partnership agreement with Russian Sovcomflot, which, in particular, provides for the use of the Northern Sea Route both for delivering transit shipments of hydrocarbons to China and for transporting oil and gas eastward from developing Russian fields.

The strengthening of China's position and the growth of its interests in the Arctic region is perceived ambiguously by the world community and the Arctic states in particular. For example, Denmark believes that China “has its own legitimate economic and scientific interests,” while Canada believes that China “threatens the sovereignty” of the Arctic countries with its position. Chinese experts themselves have repeatedly added fuel to the fire with loud statements, calling into question the principles of the Arctic Eight. Suffice it, in particular, to cite the statements of Rear Admiral Yin Zhou that "the Arctic belongs to the whole world, since not a single people has sole power over it", as well as a statement researcher Shanghai Institute of International Studies Cheng Baozhi, arguing that "... it is unimaginable that non-Arctic states remain users of Arctic sea routes and consumers of Arctic energy resources without the possibility of participation in the decision-making process, so that the end of the monopoly of circumpolar powers in Arctic matters becomes an absolute necessity" .

In fact, on the development of resources in the Arctic, China is currently taking a wait-and-see attitude, believing that active actions can cause fear and raise alarmist sentiments in other countries. The main direction, in which work is being carried out quite actively, is the Northern Sea Route. To date, China is practically the only country that has already decided on the need to increase the use of the NSR and plans to transport up to 20 percent of its foreign trade cargo via the Northern Sea Route by 2025. At the same time, the Chinese policy is based on the thesis that Russia does not and cannot have a monopoly on this route, since, according to the norms of international law, the Russian Federation cannot prevent the passage of commercial ships even through its territorial waters, and the special status of the NSR as a zone with a special the regime of passage of ships is interpreted by the Chinese side only as the right of the Russian side to establish a ship insurance regime and offer paid services for providing meteorological information, conducting rescue operations and icebreaking support.

Taking into account that the latter is one of the most significant factors, the Chinese plan not only to provide escort for their vessels using their own icebreakers, but also to develop a favorable pricing policy to attract other customers - so that Chinese icebreakers provide escort for ships of other countries along the Northern Sea Route. In particular, the Chinese expect to receive contracts for escorting Norwegian and German vessels. At the same time, Chinese carriers also expect to receive orders for the transportation of goods from ASEAN countries along the NSR.

However, most likely, these actions of the PRC are dictated not by the desire to seize the niche of transportation along the NSR (the Chinese understand that this will be unrealistic and may lead to a political conflict with Moscow), but by the desire to promote the idea of creating a joint company to manage the Northern Sea Route. At the same time, the Chinese will be ready to provide investments in the development of infrastructure throughout the NSR.

This idea is not fully shared by the Japanese and Norwegians, who consider it expedient to create the International Administration of the Northern Sea Route, which will be in charge of all issues related to the use of the NSR, including the transportation of foreign trade goods of the Russian Federation, as well as transportation between Russian regions (for example, sending fish products from the Far East of the Russian Federation to the European part of Russia), which will be absolutely unprofitable for the Russian side, since these transportations are inherently not transit, but internal.

Seoul's Arctic policy vector

In 2013, as a member of the Arctic Council, the South Korean government published a Comprehensive Arctic Strategy and a Master Plan for the Development of the Region. These policy documents should act as strategies for the development of the Northern Sea Route and the development of natural resources. In the Basic Plan, the authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan identified 4 tasks: to promote international cooperation; lead Scientific research; explore the Arctic for further business development; create the necessary infrastructure.

According to South Korean experts, oil and natural gas production in the Arctic, primarily by Russia, may have great potential for South Korea as a new main source of energy resources for it and other Northeast Asian countries: Japan and China. Now the Republic of Kazakhstan imports energy resources, mainly from the countries of the Middle East, and needs to diversify its sources of supply in order to have guarantees of stability. Under these conditions, the development of the Arctic gives South Korea the opportunity to ensure a long-term safe supply of energy resources.

In addition, the Northern Sea Route is of great interest to South Korea as a new transport and logistics route. During the operation of the NSR, the distance for the transportation of goods between Busan and Rotterdam will be reduced by 32% (from 22 thousand to 15 thousand km) and by 10 days (from 40 to 30). Thus, the NSR for the Republic of Kazakhstan becomes the most attractive from an economic point of view. In 2013, the South Korean company Hyundai Glovis has already carried out a test flight along the NSR. In the future, the Republic of Kazakhstan plans to increase the number of operating icebreakers for the development of the Northern Sea Route, increase the number of qualified specialists and ensure the demand for appropriate equipment and infrastructure.

South Korean experts also urge the country's authorities to prepare for the development of resources in the Arctic and for the fact that the NSR will be used more and more actively. In this regard, it is recommended to develop a plan to turn the main seaports of the Republic of Kazakhstan into hubs for the NEA countries, as well as take measures to obtain new orders for the construction of icebreakers and a corresponding expansion of shipbuilding capacities. Thus, in 2014, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Maritime Corporation has already received an order to build 9 gas carrier icebreakers for the Russian natural gas project on the Yamal Peninsula. The Republic of Korea is recognized worldwide as a country with a strong technical potential in the field of icebreaker construction, and it is expected that similar orders will come from other representatives of the world community.

South Korea's interest in the Arctic region as the richest source of fuel and raw materials is understandable and does not need additional justification. The non-Arctic countries of Northeast Asia, including South Korea, are interested in diversifying their raw material sources. Korea is the world's fifth largest importer of crude oil and second largest importer of liquefied natural gas, and also imports many minerals. In the future, we can expect an increase in the activity of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Arctic in terms of gaining access to natural resources, primarily hydrocarbons, since the main flow of gas from Siberia is directed to China, and Sakhalin projects can only satisfy the demands of Japan and the Russian Far East proper. At the same time, it should be taken into account that South Korea is interested in strengthening the rivalry between the traditional Arctic powers, the latter, against this background, can make significant concessions in favor of other countries experiencing a shortage of mineral resources in order to maintain their formal sovereignty, but allow them to participate in Arctic affairs of reliable partners from the Asia-Pacific region.

In general, however, South Korea's approach to the development of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route is characterized by exceptional pragmatism, which implies the identification of political and commercial priorities and points of application of forces. One of them is the construction of icebreakers and ice-class vessels. For example, Samsung Shipping, which has previously delivered an icebreaking class tanker to Russia, expects to receive orders for the construction of new types of icebreakers or icebreaking class vessels for the Arctic region. At the facilities of Daewoo Shipbuilding Corp. an order has already been placed for the construction of nine ice-class vessels for the Yamal project. In addition, the South Korean authorities are planning to build a second scientific icebreaker.

Along with this, South Korea is striving to create an oil distribution hub of regional importance for the entire Asia-Pacific region. According to South Korean experts, the location of South Korea (proximity to the Northern Sea Route, the Russian Far East, China, Japan and the countries of Southeast Asia) makes it an ideal place for the distribution of oil supplied through the Arctic. As part of the project to create an oil hub (Korea Oil Hub), South Korea plans to increase the capacity of its storage facilities to 60 million barrels of oil by 2020, as well as to close the existing energy infrastructure, including five large oil refineries, into a single network. In addition, in order to prepare the conditions for attracting foreign investors and foreign clients for the future hub, in June 2014, the South Korean authorities declared two oil terminals in the cities of Yeosu and Ulsan on the coast of Japan as free trade zones, abolishing taxes on oil products stored and mixed here . Also, a number of Korean research centers and companies are currently working on the national project Oil Hub Korea Yeosu Co. Experts in the Arctic from the Institute of Arctic Logistics of Yongsan University are actively involved in the development and implementation of this project, who have identified an increase in oil storage capacities and the provision of a legislative framework as priorities for creating a regional oil hub.

A separate area of work is the use of the transport capabilities of the Northern Sea Route, which involves the provision of technologies and investments by the South Korean side while ensuring stable working conditions from the Russian side. South Korea is interested in the development of the Northern Sea Route based on its commercial interests, since at least 70% of the value of its GNP is accounted for by foreign trade. Now the use of the NSR for the transportation of foreign trade goods of South Korea with Europe has become even more relevant given the actual failure of the project to create a through railway artery (Trans-Korean Mainline) from Busan to the EU through the territory of the DPRK, Russia or China.

Conclusion

Speaking at the government hour in the Federation Council on February 26, 2016, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin noted: “The measures taken to support the Northern Sea Route and stable funding testify to its development. If in 2013 less than 4 million tons of cargo were transported, then in 2015 - 5.5 million tons.” According to the Ministry of Transport, cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route by 2020 can grow tenfold - up to 65 million tons per year.

However, not all experts agree with this assessment of the Ministry of Transport. In particular, Ivan Andrievsky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Engineering Company 2K, considers the forecast of the Ministry of Transport for a tenfold increase in cargo transportation along the NSR in the next five years to be too optimistic: “So far, this route is not attractive for transit cargo. The share of transit in 2014 amounted to just over 7% in the total volume of cargo turnover, the rest is cabotage. Transit fell from 1.3 million tons to about 300 thousand tons. The reduction by 77% at once is apparently due to the fact that the southern route through the Indian Ocean is once again becoming highly profitable. In 2015, the situation worsened - only 39.6 thousand tons of cargo were transported in transit.” According to Andrievsky, the development of Russia's northern deposits will increase the share of domestic cargo, but this will not be enough to multiply the turnover. In this regard, the main task today is to increase the attractiveness of the Northern Sea Route for the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

The main advantages of the NSR - a shorter leg and a higher delivery speed - made this route interesting for cargo carriers during a period of high fuel prices, which led to an increase in the volume of transit traffic through the Northern Sea Route. However, in addition to fuel costs, the SMP involves other costs. In particular, large heavy cargoes may need two escort vessels, which increases the shipper's costs. Certain cargoes may require special containers for arctic conditions, the acquisition of which is associated with additional costs. In addition, it should be taken into account that ice-class vessels capable of passing along the Northern Sea Route consume more fuel. Delays of vessels due to the limited navigation period also mean additional costs. It is also necessary to take into account the risks associated with the unpredictability of ice behavior during the navigation period.

It should be noted that in order to increase the competitiveness of the Northern Sea Route, South Korean experts consider it necessary to pay attention to reducing the time of transportation and its cost in order to make this route more attractive compared to the line passing through the Suez Canal. According to their estimates, with an equal cost of transportation, the Northern Sea Route can claim to serve 20 percent of South Korea's foreign trade with Europe if the transportation time is 30 days, and if the time is reduced to 25 days, the share of the NSR could increase to 72 percent.

In general, with high fuel prices, even with additional costs and inconvenience, the Northern Sea Route for shippers from China, Japan and South Korea becomes more profitable than the longer southern route to Europe. However, with low oil prices, when the cost of hauling a vessel along the southern route is falling, cargo carriers prefer to use the traditional proven route with ready infrastructure and less risk.

Nevertheless, despite the existing shortcomings, the Northern Sea Route has good prospects, and its attractiveness will grow not only as the cost of fuel increases, but also taking into account the development of infrastructure, as well as an increase in the navigation period and the area of ice-free areas. At the same time, the establishment of a route grid with a certain frequency will allow you to collect large caravans, which will make the posting of goods cheaper. Therefore, the NSR project in the future may well compete with the southern route

In general, the analysis of the assessments of foreign experts indicates that in order to increase the competitiveness of SMEs, it is necessary to take the following measures:

Simplify the procedure for issuing permits for the passage of vessels along the Northern Sea Route and make decision-making transparent and understandable for carriers;

Develop uniform tariffs for the provision of services for carriers along the entire length of the NSR;

Develop a program to present the advantages of the NSR at the largest international seminars, exhibitions and conferences (in particular, Nor-Shipping, Polar Shipping Summit, etc.);

At the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, take measures aimed at promoting, during negotiations and consultations with foreign states, the thesis on the need for international recognition of the right of the Russian Federation to pursue an independent tariff policy in relation to the Northern Sea Route;

To work out the possibility of attracting the world's largest carriers to work on the NSR by inviting them to participate in the formation of the schedule for the movement of ships along this route;

To demonstrate the capabilities of the NSR, to work out the possibility of organizing individual commercial flights in the periods preceding and immediately following the time of summer navigation (that is, in May-June and November-December) in order to show the possibility of using the Northern Sea Route for 8 months with appropriate icebreaking support (with a prerequisite for confirming the profitability of transportation compared to the southern route);

Take measures to coordinate the activities of all ports along the NSR, as well as to develop coastal infrastructure in the eastern part of the Northern Sea Route from Dudinka to Chukotka.

An abbreviated version of the material of the Far Eastern Center for Regional Studies, prepared specifically for the REX news agency