South Korean ship completes Northern Sea Route voyage

The South Korean container ship PanStar Acro made its first trip in both directions along the Arctic route, including the Northern Sea Route (NSR), and returned to Busan on October 11 after 50 days of sailing, Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea.

The ship left Busan on August 22 and entered the Arctic Ocean on August 31. It passed through the Chukchi, East Siberian, Kara and Barents Seas, as well as the Laptev Sea, after which it arrived in British Felixstowe on September 12, and the next day in Rotterdam.

On the way back, the container ship entered Gdansk, Poland, and crossed Arctic waters again. The ship returned to Busan six days later than scheduled, but the flight passed without incident.

The 2,758 TEU PanStar Acro container ship (one TEU equals one 20-foot container) embarked on a 837 TEU cargo voyage.

South Korean ships used the Arctic route in 2013 and 2016. However, South Korean container ships have not flown in either direction.

The South Korean authorities intend to assess the economic efficiency of the route taking into account time, costs and fuel consumption. The government expects to open regular service by 2030, and by 2035 to increase the capacity of ships.

A container ship meeting ceremony is scheduled for October 13 in Busan.

The Northern Sea Route is the shortest sea route between the European part of Russia and the Far East passing through the seas of the Arctic Ocean.

Earlier, CCTV, citing the customs of the city of Ningbo, reported that China has completed the season of container shipments to Europe along the Arctic route, including the Northern Sea Route, until the summer of 2027.