By year 2035, the Russian government intends to build at least 40 Arctic vessels, upgrade 4 regional airports, construct railways and seaports and facilitate a massive exploitation of Arctic natural resources.

The development plan for the Northern Sea Route was signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev just few days before the start of the new decade. The document has been in the making for some time and it was considered of great importance that it was approved and signed before the end of 2019.

Medvedev put his signature on the document on the 21st of December and it was published on the government website on the 30th. Behind its development stands Rosatom, the nuclear power company with top responsibilities for the Northern Sea Route.

The document builds on President Putin's decrees from May 2018 and the request to boost annual shipments on the Northern Sea Route to 80 million tons by year 2024.

Tight schedule