Arctic Transport Route: China embraces the Northeast Passage

For the first time in history, a Chinese container ship has transported cargo through the Northeast Passage to Europe, completing the journey from Ningbo to Felixstowe in just 20 days. This Arctic route is nearly twice as short as traditional southern routes and offers strategic advantages including reduced political risks and faster delivery times. Rosatom expects foreign ship traffic to double by 2025, with container volumes increasing from 180,000 to 400,000 tons.

The development benefits China's Belt and Road initiative, provides Russia with transit revenues, and offers Europe faster goods delivery. Current annual freight volume is 37.9 million tons, with ambitious targets of 150 million tons by 2030.

However, challenges include limited icebreaker capacity, inadequate port infrastructure, and high Arctic insurance costs. Russia plans significant investments in icebreakers and Arctic vessels to support growth.