JSC Atomenergoprom, a subsidiary of Russian state nuclear energy firm Rosatom, concluded a preliminary agreement with Aeon Infrastructure Corporation to create a strategic partnership in Arctic shipping
The companies will work together to implement Arctic shipping projects, constructing ice-class Arc5 vessels and Arc6/Icebreaker6 tugboats to deliver both general cargo and products from the Syradasay coal deposit from the Taymyr Peninsula. The project to develop the Syradasay coal deposit is being implemented by Aeon Corporation subsidiary Severnaya Zvezda.
Rosatom director general Alexei Likhachev said the company will decide whether to construct two to four medium-sized LNG-powered icebreakers by the end of the year.
Russia has the world’s only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers and is hoping to build up that fleet. It plans to develop the Northern Sea Route into a fully fledged transport corridor, as the Northern Maritime Transport Corridor is being created in stages under the NSR Infrastructure Development Plan 2035, approved by the Russian Government.
Rosatom is Russia’s designated sole infrastructure operator of the Northern Sea Route.
This week Rosatom has also signed an agreement with DP World to develop pilot container routes between northwest Europe and east Asia through the Arctic.
Earlier, gas producer Novatek signed an agreement of understanding with Rosatom to develop LNG-powered icebreakers in 2018.
Novatek operates several LNG projects in the Arctic, notably the US$21.3Bn Arctic LNG 2 project, with a capacity of 19.8 mta, with commercial production set to begin 2023. The document was signed by JSC Atomenergoprom director Kirill Komarov and Aeon Infrastructure Corporation chairman of the board of directors Roman Trotsenko. The signing ceremony took place as part of the Rosatom event, Arctic Day.
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