China’s NewNew Shipping Line and Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom are advancing plans to build five Arc7 ice-class container ships, aiming to enable year-round commercial shipping along the Northern Sea Route, according to foreign media reports.
A few days ago, Vladimir Panov, Rosatom’s special representative for Arctic development, stated during the plenary session of the 11th Eastern Economic Forum that the joint project with NewNew Shipping Line to construct these Arc7 ice-class container ships has entered the advanced stages of research and development. He described the planned vessels as potentially “revolutionary” for Arctic shipping.
Designed by Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), this Arc7 ice-class container ship measures 255 meters in length and 35 meters in beam, with a capacity exceeding 4,800 TEU, making it the largest container ship specifically designed for the Northern Sea Route. The vessel will be equipped with a 46-megawatt diesel-electric propulsion system, featuring two 15-megawatt electric propulsion motors driving fixed-pitch propellers.
The design enables the vessel to break through level one-year ice up to 1.7 meters thick. Its 35-meter breadth is tailored to the channel width created by Russia’s Project 22220 nuclear-powered icebreakers, allowing the ship to operate within the existing icebreaker escort system when ice conditions are too severe for independent navigation.
The Arc7 ice-class container ship project represents the latest milestone in a two-year collaborative effort between Rosatom and NewNew Shipping Line to establish a dedicated Arctic container fleet. In late 2024, the two parties formed a joint venture in China named “Northern Sea Route Shipping Line.” As of June 2025, they were still in the process of selecting a shipyard and considering government support for the construction of up to five vessels, with the initial plan targeting delivery and entry into service for the lead ship no later than 2027.
Current indications suggest that the project has faced delays—or at the very least, significant uncertainty—as the planned Arc7 ice-class container ships remain in the research and development stage. Recent reports indicate that NewNew Shipping Line plans to launch the construction project in 2027 and is evaluating the designation of the Commercial Seaport of Murmansk in Russia as the primary home port for the new fleet.
It is worth noting that on August 20, 2026, the “NewNew Hai 1”, operated by NewNew Shipping Line, became the first Chinese container ship to reach the Commercial Seaport of Murmansk via the Northern Sea Route. Departing from Tianjin Port with approximately 500 containers of Chinese-made auto parts, the vessel’s successful arrival marked the official launch of a regular cargo shipping service connecting Chinese coastal ports with Russia’s largest deep-water port within the Arctic Circle.
Established in 1915, the Commercial Seaport of Murmansk currently features 24 cargo yards and 15 berths, with an annual throughput capacity of 24 million tons; it is the only comprehensive port in the Arctic region capable of year-round navigation and direct access to the global ocean.
The project involving Arc7 ice-class container ships—developed specifically for the Northern Sea Route by Rosatom and NewNew Shipping Line—aims to extend the route’s traditionally brief summer shipping season into the autumn and winter months.