PanStar Line has opened cargo bookings for South Korea’s first commercial container voyage to Europe via the Northern Sea Route (NSR). The government-backed trial is scheduled to depart Busan on 22 August.
A chartered 2,800-TEU containership will operate the voyage. The vessel will sail through Arctic waters before calling at Rotterdam, Hamburg and Gdansk. PanStar will use the trial to assess whether the NSR could become a regular alternative to the Suez Canal.
The company says bookings have grown steadily since reservations opened. Exporters have shown interest in shipping automotive parts, synthetic resins, steel products, food, liquid cargoes, used vehicles and Korean cosmetics. PanStar has also received enquiries about transshipment cargo from Japan and China.
South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea Ocean Business Corporation (KOBC) and the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) support the project. The government selected PanStar earlier this year after larger Korean carriers decided not to join the tender.
PanStar recently briefed exporters and logistics companies on the voyage. The company outlined its plans for cargo temperature control, polar insurance and ice navigation. Experts from the Korea Polar Research Institute also presented the latest sea-ice forecasts.
PanStar expects the voyage to take about 20 days, much faster than the traditional route through the Suez Canal. August and September usually offer the best conditions for commercial navigation along the NSR because sea ice is at its lowest.
PanStar said the trial will provide data on safety, schedule reliability and commercial performance before deciding whether to launch a regular Arctic container service.
