Summary of Working Paper No. 143-1999

III.07.8 “Scenarios of Seasonal and Year-Round Navigation along the Northern Sea Route”

By Y.M. Ivanov, N.A. Isakov, A.N. Yakovlev, V.P. Smirnov, A.E. Nikulin and E.G. Logvinovich, Central Marine Research and Design Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia

Aim of the project is to make scenarios of seasonal (summer and prolonged) and year-round navigation along navigable passages of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and prepare recommendations on the selection of rational navigating routes to assess commercial efficiency of the following kinds of transportation:

regional transportation in Western Arctic area as a supply of the equipment and exports of power raw materials (oil, gas, coal), metals, fertilizers and timber from North -Western regions of Russia;

regional transportation in Eastern Arctic area as an importation of the equipment and supply cargo, fuel and foodstuffs and exports of timber and coal from North -Eastern regions of Russia;

NSR transportation of transit containerized and bulk cargoes for two routes - deepwater northern (high latitudinal) and shallow south (coastal) with possible use of the river Yenisey river and railway from Yakutsk.

The suggested scenarios of seasonal and year-round navigation may serve as a basis for modelling of shipping as stipulated in the project WP8