Long-held plans by Russia to open up the Northern Sea Route for year-round navigation are due to kick off with a pilot programme in the new year.
Russia’s head of the Northern Sea Route General Administration (FSBI Glavsevmorput) Sergey Zybko — a former master on the Arc7 flagship the 174,200-cbm Christophe de Margerie (built 2017) — is quoted as saying: “Starting from January, gas carriers will move under ice breaker support, including during those months when they never sailed before — March, April and May.
