Russia has hit out at countries trying to introduce “unfeasible requirements” into the IMO’s Polar Code.

“The growth of the Northern Sea Route is seen by the Russian Federation as of paramount importance,” Victor Olersky, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Transport, told the opening of the Danish Maritime Forum.

With the development of the Polar Code by the IMO Olersky told reporters that Russia considers itself the expert in this field. “Our position is to take the best practices from the Russian experience and put them into the Polar Code.”

In his speech to the opening of the forum Olersky stated: “The Polar Code standards shall ensure certainty of ship navigation in polar seas, protection of polar waters from pollution, but they shall not become the set of rigid, prohibitive measures that will prevent shipping companies from using the Northern route to transport cargoes from Europe to Asia regions and back.

“Some countries make proposals to limit the shipping by introducing unfeasible requirements into the polar code but this will destroy the advantages of the route. We think it’s very important to make the polar code as an instrument encouraging safe shipping in the Arctic and not create any obstacles in this way.”

Russia is also concerned that a ruling of zero discharge under the Polar Code will impact small vessels that trade domestically on Arctic Sea routes and is seeking for an exemption from the code for these vessels.

Looking ahead volumes of 60m tonnes are year are forecast to move via the Northern Sea Route by 2030, with most the cargo of Arctic origin rather than transits from Asia to Europe. The route is seen as suitable for tankers and bulkers but not containerships on regular liner schedules.

While Russia wants to prevent the Polar Code from becoming too restrictive Singapore said that new processes needed to be developed for such environmentally sensitive areas and should not be left to individual shipping companies risk assessments.

Singapore Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew drew a parallel with the shooting down of the MH17 passenger jet over the Ukraine in July this year.

“For example different shipping companies will make different risk assessments as to whether it is safe to use those waters – can we allow that? We now know it was really a mistake for that aircraft to fly through Ukrainian airspace but those decisions were made by the airlines to the best of their abilities based on the information available,” he stated.

“And we now know that in ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) there is a great rethink as to whether this should be perpetuated, so likewise in shipping in sensitive areas even while we want to maintain unhindered and unfettered access do we need to strengthen those processes and who should call time on when we stop and start sailing through those waters,” Lui said.