Our Arctic Neighbors: First non-Russian ship sails Northern Sea Route
The ice-class bulk carrier MV Nordic Barents sailed across the Arctic, loaded with iron-ore concentrate, from Kirkenes, Norway to China, in just 12 days in September, the first non-Russian flag bulk carrier to use the Northern Sea Route, which is also called the Northwest Passage.
The bulk carrier left the northern Norway harbor on Sept. 4, turning 180 degrees south at the Bering Strait on Sept. 15, the BarentsObserver reported.
The 12-day trip was faster than expected, Felix H. Tschudi told the Observer.
Tschudi is both a shipping company owner and the largest shareholder in Northern Iron, the mining company that operates in Kirkenes, the publication reported. MV Nordic Barents belongs to Nordic Bulk Carriers, a Danish shipping company.
The retreating sea ice in the Arctic makes the northern shortcut valuable for the world’s shippers because it saves time (thus money) compared to traditional shipping routes, such as the Suez channel or around the southern tip of Africa.
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