NewNew, Rosatom Advance 5 Arc7 Ships for 4,800-TEU Arctic Route
Updated
Updated · gCaptain · Sep 4
NewNew, Rosatom Advance 5 Arc7 Ships for 4,800-TEU Arctic Route
3 articles · Updated · gCaptain · Sep 4
Summary
Five planned Arc7 container ships are moving into an advanced development stage as NewNew Shipping Line and Rosatom push for year-round commercial service on the Northern Sea Route.
The 255-meter vessels would carry more than 4,800 TEU, use 46-megawatt diesel-electric power and break 1.7 meters of first-year ice, while fitting channels opened by Russia’s Project 22220 nuclear icebreakers.
The project extends a two-year partnership that formed a joint venture in China in late 2024, but construction has not started and a first-ship target of no later than 2027 now appears uncertain.
NewNew is expanding separately with six 4,800-TEU ships for a China-St. Petersburg service—four due in October 2026 and two in June 2027—after its Xin Xin Hai 1 reached Murmansk via the route in August.
That broader Arctic push still faces a cargo challenge: NewNew targets 1.2 million tonnes in the 2027 summer season, while South Korea’s Arctic container trial filled only 737 TEU, under half its goal.