The ship Tian Xi of China’s COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers Co., Ltd. has arrived at Qingdao Port after completing a voyage through the Arctic shipping route. Returning from Finland’s Helsinki, Tian Xi vessel has transported approximately 30,000 tons of high-quality paper pulp back to China.
After completing the voyage, crews of Tian Xi vessel lined up during a welcome ceremony at Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, on September 17, 2019.
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Navigation along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) could eventually be possible year-round until 2030, as the climate continues warming, the Head of the Russian State Hydrometeorology University Valery Mikheyev told.
Speaking to the Russian news agency TASS, Mr. Mikheyev said that currently the Arctic is warming. He explained that according to forecast, by 2030 NSR’s and its shores will not have ice. This will make its navigation possible all year.
However, he added that the continuous warming would arise certain risks. For instance, in Norilsk, where houses are built on the permafrost, their basements have shifted. This will make the need for new construction norms and regulations necessary.
NSR crosses through the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Sea and is about 5,600km long.
The fact is that there is more traffic in this route lately, as journey times between Asia and Europe can be reduced by up to two weeks. Namely, companies such as Maersk, ESL Shipping, Cosco, and Sovcomflot have all chosen NSR to sail some of their ships.
