Last year, Russia’s Sovcomflot sailed the tanker “Baltika” with condensate from Murmansk to China via the Arctic. The voyage was the first time a high-tonnage tanker sailed the route.
This summer, Sovcomflot will send an even larger tanker, a so-called Suezmax vessel, reports TANKEROperator. Such vessels can be up to deadweight of about 240,000 tons.
Read also: Preparing for next year’s Northern Sea Route season
Russian independent gas producer Novatek says it plans to ship six to eight 72,000 tonnes condensate cargoes via the Arctic route in 2011. Saving time and fuel-costs is the main argument for sailing the Northern Sea Route as the Climate Changes makes the route more accessible for commercial shipping from northern Europe to the markets in Asia.
