China’s NewNew Shipping and Russia’s state-owned Rosatom are accelerating plans to expand container shipping through the Northern Sea Route (NSR), with new ice-class vessels being developed to support more regular services between China and Russia.
The two sides are advancing a plan for five purpose-built Arc7 container ships, each designed to carry more than 4,800 TEUs and operate in Arctic conditions. The vessels are being designed by Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation and are intended to support year-round navigation on sections of the NSR.
Arc7 Ships Designed for Heavy Ice
The planned vessels will be around 255 metres long and 35 metres wide, with a 46 MW diesel-electric propulsion system. Their 35-metre beam is designed to match channels created by Russia’s Project 22220 nuclear icebreakers.
The ships are expected to independently navigate through first-year ice up to 1.7 metres thick, while being able to operate with icebreaker assistance when conditions become more difficult.
The design is intended to address one of the biggest challenges facing Arctic container shipping: extending operations beyond the relatively short summer navigation window.
NewNew Shipping Expands Fleet
Separately, NewNew Shipping plans to deploy six 4,800-TEU vessels on the Northern Sea Route. Four ships are scheduled to enter service from October 2026 on a China–St Petersburg route, while two additional vessels are planned for June 2027.
The company expects the expanded fleet to support around two Arctic sailings per month, carrying cargo including components for Chinese automotive manufacturers serving markets in St Petersburg, Moscow and Kaliningrad. NewNew Shipping is targeting 1.2 million tonnes of cargo through the Arctic during the 2027 summer navigation season.
First Murmansk Container Run
The expansion follows NewNew Shipping’s recent milestone at Murmansk, where its 29,000-dwt Xin Xin Hai 1 became the first Chinese container vessel to reach the Russian port via the NSR.
The ship arrived on August 19 carrying around 500 containers of automotive components after sailing from China. The voyage demonstrates the growing use of the NSR for China-Russia containerised trade.
Towards Year-Round Arctic Shipping
Rosatom approved the Arc7 container ship design in March 2026 as part of efforts to establish a regular China-Russia container service using the NSR. The project is being developed through cooperation between Rosatom and NewNew Shipping, which established a joint venture for the planned Arctic shipping network.
However, the purpose-built Arc7 fleet has not yet entered construction, and the timetable for delivery remains uncertain. The vessels are intended to eventually extend container operations into autumn and winter, reducing the NSR’s dependence on seasonal navigation.
The developments point to an increasingly structured China-Russia Arctic shipping network, although commercial cargo availability, ice conditions, infrastructure and the high operational costs associated with Arctic navigation remain important challenges.