A Chinese shipping firm is turning what was once an Arctic experiment into a scheduled service. Beginning Saturday, Sea Legend will run its “Arctic Express” from Ningbo, China, to Felixstowe in the UK along Russia’s north coast, the first regular container route between Asia and Europe through Arctic waters. Climate change and the Iran war encourage the launch: The move exploits thinner summer sea ice, high oil prices, and Red Sea instability that have pushed many ships onto longer journeys around Africa, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The route can cut travel time roughly in half compared with rounding the Cape of Good Hope, potentially slashing fuel costs, which make up most at-sea expenses. But it’s no Suez: The season is short, insurance is pricier, icebreakers are sometimes required, and traffic remains tiny. The service also advances China’s Arctic ambitions, deepening reliance on Russia and raising geopolitical and environmental questions for Western rivals.