The Arctic route remains extremely challenging to navigate through due to: extreme temperatures (up to -52°C), restricted visibility, heavy icing, high latitudes, electromagnetic disturbances (mists, snow squalls), 50 km long narrow channel outside VTS sensors coverage, lack of shore-based infrastructure for LNG tankers, difficulties with establishment and maintenance of AtoNs (AIS as a Virtual Aid to Navigation).
A very narrow channel (295 m wide, 50 km long) and a short distance from the to the shoreline (less than 12 miles) creates certain risks of grounding for LNG tankers (length of the designed vessels to carry natural gas and NGLs is about 300 m, draft of 12 m, a width of 50 m).