Nornickel, one of the oldest shippers of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), plans to increase the shipping to 2.4 million tons per year along the main Arctic highway, said Ravil Nasybullov, head of Nornickel's logistics department, during the Eastern Economic Forum 2022. During the winter navigation of 2021, the company transported about 1.9 million tons of cargo via the NSR, 0.5 million tons more than in 2020.
Among the cargoes sent by Nornickel are not only metals, but also materials, supplies, equipment and machinery necessary for the company's investment projects. This includes the Sulfur Program, which aims to reduce the negative environmental impact of the company's production facilities, and a comprehensive renovation project for Norilsk.
Nornickel is one of the four key corporate players carrying out cargo transportation on the NSR, other three companies are Novatek, Rosneft and Severnaya Zvezda. In 2021, Nornickel and the state corporation Rosatom concluded an agreement on icebreaking support, which is valid until 2030.
The growth of the NSR cargo traffic is the key to further development of this important polar route. The products of companies operating in the Arctic form the NSR cargo base, ensuring its progressive growth.
