The mv “Hong Chang Sheng” operated by Aurora Line has completed the passage of the Northern Sea Route and is heading for China in the framework of its liner service between St. Petersburg and China.
This is the first direct international commercial voyage in the Arctic made by a Russian company, Aurora Line stressed. Previously, only foreign operators made such voyages,
The 2,100-TEU capacity containership left St. Petersburg on August 23 after loading containers laden with export designated chemical, paper and pulp, timber and metal products made in Russia at Petrolesport.
It took her a week to complete the passage by the Northern Sea Route. As of today, September 12, the ship has already passed the eastern boundary of the Northern Sea Route off Cape Dezhnev, and is expected to arrive to China on September 20.
The overall transit time from St. Petersburg to China will make no more than 30 days, which is much quicker than the traditional route via the Suez.
According to Aleksey Parilov, MD of Aurora Line, using the Arctic route will allow of reducing the aggregate transportation costs for shipping cargo from the Baltic to China by 20-25% compared to the Suez.
Photo: courtesy of Aurora Line