The Russian Arctic port of Arkhangelsk has received its first Chinese container ship of 2025, marking the start of the year’s navigation season on the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
The vessel Newnew Polar Bear, operated by China’s NewNew Shipping Line, arrived on Friday carrying 497 containers filled with auto parts, PVC film, and steel for Russian industries.
Local authorities confirmed that once unloading is complete, the vessel will take on export cargo, mainly timber products, which are in high demand in China.
The Arkhangelsk governor’s office said the cargo is expected to reach Chinese ports in just over three weeks, offering a faster option compared to the longer Suez Canal route.
The Newnew Polar Bear departed Shanghai on July 16 and completed its voyage in less than a month. This is the first Chinese vessel to call at Arkhangelsk in 2025 under the Arctic Express N1 service, a trade route launched by NewNew Shipping in July 2024.
The service connects Shanghai and Ningbo with Arkhangelsk through the NSR.
In 2024, NewNew Shipping carried out 13 successful voyages through the NSR, transporting over 20,000 TEU. Based on this success, the company decided to expand operations by sending larger container ships this season.
Last year, EZ Safetrans Logistics became the first Chinese company to send a Panamax container ship through the Arctic route.
Arkhangelsk is preparing for an increase in Chinese ship calls during the 2025 season. Regional authorities expect about 20 calls this year, almost double the number from 2024. Permits have already been issued for more than a dozen vessels to sail through the Arctic between July and November, including five ships owned by NewNew Shipping.
Governor Alexander Tsybulsky said the new shipping season will benefit regional industries by providing quicker access to the Chinese market. He added that Arkhangelsk’s enterprises are ready to supply large volumes of timber products for export.
NewNew Shipping is also making long-term investments in the port itself. In July 2024, the company agreed to invest about 200 billion rubles (around $2.5 billion) into the construction of a new deep-water section of Arkhangelsk seaport.
This development project, planned until 2032, includes five terminals that will be able to handle ships with up to 75,000 tonnes of deadweight and a draft of 14.5 meters. The overall capital expenditure for the project is estimated at 375 billion rubles.
The company has also announced plans to build several Arc7 ice-class container ships in partnership with Russia’s nuclear agency, Rosatom. These ships are designed to support year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route.
Reference: Interfax