The container ship Istanbul Bridge, operated by SeaLegend, completed loading on Monday in Ningbo-Zhoushan and set sail for Felixstowe, the main port in the United Kingdom, where it is scheduled to dock on October 10, reported the official Global Times.
The new route reduces the journey by 22 days compared to the Suez Canal and 32 days when compared to the route around the Cape of Good Hope. It is also a week faster than the 25 days it takes for rail transport between China and Europe to complete the trip, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
After Felixstowe, the Istanbul Bridge will stop in Rotterdam (Netherlands), Hamburg (Germany), and finally in Gdansk (Poland) on October 16.
The South China Morning Post highlighted that the ship is smaller than those typically passing through the Suez Canal and that although the Arctic route is shorter, the cost per container is higher.
According to SeaLegend, the rates on this route are currently between those of rail transport and traditional maritime routes, and thus it is primarily used for urgent cargo, such as e-commerce orders or high-value products, including batteries and energy storage units.
China had already tested the so-called Northern Sea Route (NSR) in 2023, when the company Newnew Shipping launched a line from the port of Lianyungang in Jiangsu province.
The company’s president, Fan Yuxin, emphasized at the time that the connection provides access to energy resources under Russian control, where approximately 30% of the untapped natural gas reserves and 13% of oil are estimated to be located.
In July, Newnew expressed interest in Moscow’s plan to build a deep-water section in the port of Arkhangelsk, with a view to investing 2.4 billion dollars (over 2 billion euros) in exchange for a 30% stake, added the South China Morning Post.
Currently, the Arctic route is only navigable in the summer, but the melting of sea ice could extend the operational period, creating new economic and geopolitical opportunities for Russia, while also posing risks to the region’s biodiversity, environmental organizations warn.
