A Korea-flagged container ship has embarked on the first trial voyage of the Arctic route. It is the first trial voyage of the Arctic route by a Korean ship in 10 years since 2016, and this time a container ship carrying chemical products and auto parts is departing Busan, sailing through the Arctic Ocean, and continuing to Europe.
According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on the 22nd, Panstar Line.com's 2,758-TEU container ship Panstar ACRO departed Busan New Port at about 9 p.m. One TEU refers to one 20-foot container.
Panstar ACRO is scheduled to enter the Northeast Passage, which runs along the northern coast of Siberia in Russia, around the 30th and pass through Arctic waters around Aug. 7. It will then call at Felixstowe, United Kingdom, on Sept. 9, Rotterdam, Netherlands, on the 11th, and Gdansk, Poland, on the 15th, in sequence.
After finishing the Europe calls, it plans to return to Busan New Port around Oct. 5 via the Northeast Passage again. The total voyage is about 45 days, and the distance in the Arctic Ocean segment is about 6,400 kilometers. The actual schedule may vary depending on weather and sea ice conditions in Arctic waters.
Panstar ACRO is carrying a total of 837 TEU, including 737 TEU of export cargo from 85 shippers and 100 TEU of empty containers. Chemical products, used cars, auto parts, and metal products are the main cargo.
The Arctic route is drawing attention because it can reduce sailing distance and time between Asia and Europe. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), using the Northeast Passage makes the distance from Busan to Rotterdam about 13,000 kilometers, roughly 7,000 kilometers shorter than the existing route of about 20,000 kilometers via the Suez Canal. The expected sailing time is about 20 days, about 10 days shorter than the Suez route.
However, conditions on the Arctic route can vary greatly depending on sea ice and weather. Panstar ACRO is equipped with ice-strengthened capability that allows sailing in ice-covered waters. The captain and navigating officers on board have completed specialized training for polar waters operations, and an active deck officer from the icebreaking research vessel Araon has also joined as chief officer.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) will maintain a 24-hour communication system with the ship during the trial voyage. Through this voyage, it plans to secure data on actual sailing distance and time, fuel consumption, and operating costs to analyze the Arctic route's economic feasibility and safety.
After continuing trial voyages, the government is aiming for commercial operations on the Arctic route in 2030. However, since the Northeast Passage runs along the Russian coast, coordination with Russia and diplomatic variables such as international sanctions are cited as issues that must be resolved in the commercialization process.