The vessel began sailing from the Yamal LNG plant at port Sabetta and transported its LNG cargo to Japan by sailing east along the North Sea Route through the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Bering Sea, the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Strait. Though the Northern Sea Route ice generally melts from the end of June to the beginning of July in the summer.
The vessel either avoided sailing through or performed ice-breaking navigation in areas where ice persisted, resulting in approximately 7 days (15 knots average navigation speed) navigation from Sabetta port to Bering Strait via the North Sea Route.
Transportation from the Russian Arctic via the Northern Sea Route helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the navigation distance required is 65 per cent shorter than that via the Suez Canal. In addition , energy transportation via the Northern Sea Route allows Asian countries to establish a new energy supply path, like Japan that relies on natural oil imports.
Maritime Business World