Russian transport company launches sea route to Kenya

FESCO has started shipping cargo between Novorossiysk on the Black Sea and Mombasa

A Russian shipping company has launched a container route between Novorossiysk on the Black Sea and Kenya’s largest port, Mombasa. 

On Wednesday, FESCO – owned by Russian state nuclear power firm Rosatom – announced that the first consignment of Kenyan tea bound for Russia was being loaded in Mombasa. The projected transit time is 43 days.

The FESCO statement indicated that Russia will export construction materials, fertilizers, metals, polymers, wood products, as well as paper and pulp to Kenya using the new route. Imports from the East African nation will be dominated by tea, coffee, nuts, and other agricultural commodities.

Russia’s export shipments will go from Novorossiysk to India’s Mundra port, a regular stop for vessels operating on the FESCO Indian Line West route between India and Novorossiysk, before onward transportation by feeder vessels to Mombasa. Imports will make their way through the port of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, ensuring a steady flow of diversified goods between the two countries.

Last December, a first ship began operations on a new route between El Dekheila port in Egypt and Novorossiysk, with a six-day journey time in each direction and bi-weekly departures. 

READ MORE: Russian company opens new sea route to Egypt

At Moscow’s Transport Week forum in 2023, German Maslov, vice-president of FESCO Transportation Group, said the route would include refrigerated containers, alongside standard cargo.

FESCO is a leading Russian multi-modal transportation and logistics company, with operations in ports, integrated logistics, rail, and shipping. It currently owns 37 ships and 170,000 twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) containers.