The world's largest container shipping operator, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), reiterated its commitment this week to avoid Arctic routes.
MSC maintained its commitment not to ship through the Arctic, arguing that the Northern Sea Route is not sufficiently developed for commercial shipping due to the inability to ensure safe navigation and transit. In addition to MSC, some companies, including Maersk and Hapag Lloyd, had previously stated that they had no intention of shipping through the Arctic.
MSC lists concerns about the impact of increasing traffic on the region's sensitive ecosystem and sea ice, in addition to infrastructure deficiencies, among the reasons for staying away. The company also believes that transits through the Arctic are not an operational necessity.
İlginizi çekebilir:
MSC, Arktik üzerinden sevkiyat yapmama taahhüdünü yineledi
Chinese Sea Legend continues to advance along the Arctic Route
The “Arctic Express” service launched recently by Chinese company Sea Legend aims to connect ports in China with destinations in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland.
Sea Legend's container ship, named “Istanbul Bridge,” departed from Ningbo, China, on September 22 and is expected to arrive at Felixstowe, the UK's largest terminal, 18 days later on October 10. The traditional route via the Suez Canal can take 40-50 days. This marks the first voyage in which a company is testing a ship service that connects multiple destinations at both ends of the journey.
