On September 11, Atomflot’s nuclear icebreaker “50 Years of Victory” escorted the container vessel Venta Maersk, which is currently travelling from the East to Northern Europe along the Northern Sea Route. The nuclear icebreaker provided a safe passage for Venta Maersk from the East Siberian Sea to the Laptev Sea.
Venta Maersk and the icebreaker followed the shortest route through the Strait of Sannikov, with an average speed of 11 knots.
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Currently, the container is continuing its sailing independently. Part of its cargo will be delivered to the port of Bremerhaven (Germany), and complete its route in St. Petersburg. Approximate date of arrival is September 27, 2018.
The ship will carry frozen fish and will travel through the Northern Sea Route until the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska, before travelling along the Russian north coast ending up to St. Petersburg in September. However, according to sources, the company noted that this is a one-off trial aiming to discover a new route for container ships and to gather scientific data.
In particular, Maersk said that the aim of this trial passage via the NSR is to ‘explore an unknown route for container shipping and to collect scientific data.’
At first Maersk showed its interest in sending a container ship along the Northern Sea Route during a meeting with Russian officials in November 2017. The company received a permit to sail through the route by the Russian NSR Administration on July 23rd, permitting the vessel to sail in a westward direction on the route between September 1st – 20th.
This journey could also be an attempt by Maersk to antagonize its Chinese rival COSCO which has increased activity on the route over the past three years. Namely, during 2017 COSCO sent a dozen vessels through the Arctic, including five transit voyages.
The fact is that there is more traffic in this route lately as during summer the ice decreases. In fact, oil and gas cargoes are making the journey, as choosing the Northern Sea Route, journey times between Asia and Europe can be reduced by up to two weeks.
