This year’s Arctic summer shipping season has seen a flurry of activity, highlighted by the early-season eastbound voyage of the LNG Carrier Eduard Toll along Russia’s Northern Sea Route. The route offers significant distance savings for voyages to Asia, especially compared to the longer detour via the Cape of Good Hope.
Key Voyages and Escorts
The Eduard Toll completed its voyage from the Yamal LNG project to Xiuyu, China in about three weeks, passing through the Arctic section in under a week. The ice-capable vessel navigated most of the icy route unassisted, except for the East Siberian Sea where the nuclear icebreaker Sibir provided escort through thicker sea ice. Sibir continued to assist additional LNG carriers, including Christophe de Margerie and Fedor Litke, with more tankers like Boris Davydov and Nikolay Zubov currently en route.
Growing Arctic Shipping
Russia’s Northern Sea Route is gaining prominence for its distance savings to Asia, with voyages taking around 18 days compared to six weeks via the Cape of Good Hope. Besides LNG, Russia is expected to send numerous shipments of crude oil via the Arctic. Three Aframax tankers recently received permits for Arctic shipping, each capable of carrying up to 800,000 barrels of crude.
Sanctions and New Permits
Uncertainty surrounds the start of exports from Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project. However, a record number of Arctic permits for LNG carriers suggest preparations for deliveries are underway. Notably, permits for four LNG carriers—North Air, North Mountain, North Sky, and North Way—have been withheld from public disclosure, leading to speculation about their potential role in a shadow fleet for Arctic LNG 2. The first of these vessels, North Sky, is nearing Ob Bay, where both the Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 projects are located.
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Source: g Captain
