The first ever shipment of reefer containers travel via the Northern Sea Route was send from Vostochnaya Stevedoring Company. The shipment is organized rranged by Maersk Line with key partners Kamchatka Lines, Norebo Group and Seroglazka Terminal.
The first batch was formed from received containers with fish delivered from Kamchatka on service operated by Kamchatka Lines. On 26 August 185 reefer containers were loaded onto «Venta Maersk” (operated by Maresk) and sailed via the Northern Sea Route to the port of Saint Petersburg.
The transit time to the destination via the Northern Sea Route is expected to be 35 days. The vessel will arrive at the container terminal of SC Petroleport by the end of September.
It should be noted that traditionally fish from Kamchatka is transported to the European part of Russia from ports in the Russian Far East by rail or deep-sea route around the Eurasian continent to the European port. Then they are reloaded onto feeder vessels bound for the ports in the Russian Baltic. This joint project between Maersk, Kamchatka Lines, Norebo group, Seroglazka Terminal and VSC will help evaluate the potential of regular direct shipments via the new route. The distance from Vostochny port to Saint Petersburg by the Northern Sea Route is over 14 000 km, the ocean route via the Suez Canal is over 23 000 km. Transportation via the Northern Sea Route is expected to significantly cut cargo delivery time.