New icebreakers may appear in Russia, with major industrial companies based in the Arctic taking part in their construction. The Russian government is negotiating with the companies accordingly, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in an article for the Energy Policy portal. This is what the Severny Gorod portal reports.

This involves building Icebreaker 8-9 class vessels capable of icebreaking operations with ice thicknesses of no more than 3 to 4 m. Such parameters should be sufficient to operate in the Yenisey River estuary and the Gulf of Ob. More powerful icebreakers, which are now working in these sections, are planned to be sent to other sections of the North Sea Route, where the ice conditions are more difficult. If the project is successful, four additional icebreakers will be launched before 2030. A total of 13 icebreakers will be required on the North Sea Route by this time.

It is via the North Sea Route that products from the new enterprises currently under construction in the Arctic will be transported. New seaports are also being developed under them, including the sea gateway in Taimyr, which is being built for the Vostok-Oil project. During this year, 2.3 mn tons of Nornickel's cargo are also due to be shipped via the North Sea Route. Severnaya Zvezda, which is building its coal cluster in Taimyr, plans to transport 3.5 mn tons of cargo by the sea next year and to ramp up exports to 10 mn tons by 2030.

NOVATEK in Kamchatka and Gazprom Neft in Yamal are also building their terminals. The port of Pevek in Chukotka is being developed to export copper from the Baimsky mining and processing plant.