Rosatom clears weekly Chinese container sailings via Arctic to Europe
Rosatom has issued permits for seven Chinese vessels to transit the Northern Sea Route to Europe, ahead of a planned weekly container service in 2026.
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which manages the Northern Sea Route (NSR), has approved permits for seven Chinese container ships to sail from Asia to Europe via the Arctic passage. The announcement was made on Friday by Rosatom's chief executive, Alexei Likhachev.
Likhachev said the approvals are tied to a plan by Chinese shipping firm Sea Legend Shipping to operate the first regular container line along the NSR. He noted that earlier container transits through the route were mostly experimental or single voyages. The 2026 programme, he said, is designed as a full-fledged weekly service running through the entire navigation season.
Moscow has long viewed the NSR as a potential alternative to the Suez Canal, though high shipping costs and seasonal ice have slowed its development. Likhachev argued that the route is gaining global importance as instability in the Persian Gulf, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, and broader logistical and political uncertainties push shippers to consider alternatives.