Northern Sea Route forecast to open from mid-August

Weathernews’ Global Ice Center GIC said this would mean the NSR would be open one month earlier than last year. It said that ice in the Arctic Sea had started to melt in late May and continued to recede at the same pace as previous years.

“Ice coverage in September when the greatest area of ice melts in the year could be even less than last summer. However, the GIC says that there is also a slight possibility the minimum ice extent may not reach or exceed the lowest ever recorded surface area seen in 2012,” Weathernews said.

GIC expects the NSR via Far North Russia to open from mid-August, open being defined as when a vessel can sail without hitting sea ice, and stay open till around early October.

There has been growing interest in the NSR in recent years as an alternative route to from North Europe to Asia as the summer ice recedes. The NSR Authority in Russia said that over 400 vessels had for permission to sail through the NSR, more than the record 346 permits granted in 2013.

The Yamal LNG project in Russia’s Far North plans to ship LNG to Asia via the NSR once it is operational in 2017. So far orders for nine in a series of 16, Arc-7 Class LNG carriers have been ordered at Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME).