Russia has disrupted the deadlines for the construction of tankers and ships for the Northern Sea Route

The Russian Ministry of Transport has proposed postponing the requirement that only Russian-built vessels be used for transportation via the Northern Sea Route.

This is reported by The Moscow Times.

The Russian Ministry of Transport has proposed postponing the introduction of restrictions to March 2028, according to which the transportation of hydrocarbons and coal via the Northern Sea Route should be carried out only by Russian-built vessels.

According to the initial plans, from March 1, 2026, export transportation of oil, gas, gas condensate and coal via the Northern Sea Route should be carried out exclusively by vessels built at Russian shipyards. However, the department now proposes to postpone the introduction of these restrictions for two years.

The postponement of the deadlines comes against the backdrop of regular failure to meet target indicators for cargo transportation through the Arctic. In 2024, 38 million tons of cargo were transported via the Northern Sea Route, more than 50% less than the 2018 decree of President Vladimir Putin, which set a target of 80 million tons by 2024.

By September 2024, Rosatom had lowered its forecast for transportation via the NSR to 117 million tons by 2030, down from the original target of 200 million tons. Putin himself estimated the prospects at 70-100 million tons by 2030 in March.

The main problem with the development of the Northern Sea Route remains an acute shortage of specialized fleets. Out of the 57 ships required, only 27 currently exist. Sanctions that have cut Russia off from Western technology are worsening the situation, with old ships having to be scrapped and new construction constantly being delayed.

According to analysts at N.Trans Lab, no more than five powerful nuclear icebreakers may remain in operation by 2030, which will make it impossible to ensure year-round navigation on the Northern Sea Route.

At a meeting with the government in late March, Putin stated that, despite years of discussions, the model for the development of the Northern Sea Route has not yet been developed, and key infrastructure decisions have not been made.

Earlier, USM reported that the Russian shipbuilding industry is unable to implement the project for a new aircraft carrier.