Key facts
- Rosatom has issued permits for seven Chinese transit vessels to sail to Europe via the Northern Sea Route.
- Chinese container company Sea Legend Shipping plans to launch the first regular container service to Europe via the NSR.
- The initiative aims for a fully-fledged regular service with weekly sailings by 2026.
- The Northern Sea Route is being promoted as a global transport artery, particularly as the situation in the Persian Gulf deteriorates.
- A prior container transit from China to Europe via the NSR took 20 days, significantly reducing travel time compared to traditional routes.
Russia's state nuclear giant Rosatom has announced that it has issued permits for seven Chinese vessels to transit to Europe via the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the Arctic. This development signals the planned launch of the first regular container service on this route by Chinese company Sea Legend Shipping.
Alexei Likhachev, head of Rosatom, stated that unlike previous shipments which were largely experimental, the 2026 program envisions a fully-fledged regular service with weekly sailings throughout the navigation season. Moscow has long aspired to develop the NSR into a significant global shipping artery, comparable to the Suez Canal, though challenges such as higher shipping costs and seasonal ice have historically hindered its rapid development.
Likhachev highlighted the growing strategic importance of the NSR as a global transport artery, especially amid deteriorating conditions in the Persian Gulf and increasing logistical and political uncertainty. A previous container transit from China to Europe via the NSR, which arrived in Felixstowe on October 13, 2025, carried nearly 25,000 tons of cargo and took 20 days, significantly less than traditional southern routes. This voyage was supported by Glavsevmorput, an enterprise within Rosatom.
Vladimir Panov, Rosatom's Special Representative for Arctic Development, noted that the NSR is developing rapidly, becoming a viable and efficient global logistics route due to technological advancements, the construction of new nuclear icebreakers, and growing international shipper interest. He emphasized the importance of managing navigation safety and passage speed along the route.