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Sergey Shishkarev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Delo Group, has proposed the creation of a transportation and economic balance for Russia to optimize cargo distribution along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and other key transport corridors. He introduced this initiative during the International Arctic Forum “Arctic – Territory of Dialogue” in Murmansk.“As for container transportation, we need to take a crucial step—developing a transport-economic balance for the Russian Federation. <...> The NSR is, to some extent, in competition with the Eastern Polygon, or perhaps it complements it. To determine this, we need to analyze what types of cargo are involved, when they originate, when they become available for transport, and what the prospects for transit are,” said Sergey Shishkarev.
Shishkarev noted that, over the past three years, transit along the Northern Sea Route has been virtually nonexistent due to external restrictions. However, he emphasized the need to prepare for the resumption of these cargo flows and to promote the route from geopolitical, defense, and strategic perspectives.
In this context, Delo Group plans to conduct 5–7 voyages along the NSR during this navigation season to assess transportation speed, fuel consumption, and actual ice conditions along the route. The company will deploy vessels with capacities ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 TEU for these test shipments.
At the same time, Shishkarev stressed that Russia has no alternative but to expand transportation along the Northern Sea Route, given the growing cargo base in the region. He believes that once the corridor becomes operational year-round, safe, and economically viable, it has the potential to achieve success comparable to that of the Suez and Panama Canals.
Additionally, he supported a proposal made by other forum participants to develop a comprehensive Arctic and NSR development strategy, suggesting the initiative be named the “Strategic Supranational Interregional Comprehensive Project for Regional Development.”
“This is a nationwide, strategic task that requires collaboration among all stakeholders, including the state, businesses, and financial institutions. This is especially critical now, given the importance of securing credit resources,” Shishkarev emphasized.
During his visit to Murmansk, Shishkarev also inspected the infrastructure of the Lavna port, located on the western shore of the Kola Bay. The port spans 120 hectares and has a planned capacity of 18 million tons. Accompanied by Evgeny Dietrich, Head of the State Transport Leasing Company (STLC), Shishkarev reviewed the coal handling facility and expressed optimism that the first vessels from the terminal would embark on NSR voyages as early as this summer.
The International Arctic Forum “Arctic – Territory of Dialogue” has been held since 2010 and serves as the largest platform for discussing the development challenges and opportunities in the Arctic region. This year's forum marks its sixth edition.