2023-10-06 18:34:36
Russia announced this Friday the arrival from China by one first ship on the so-called Northern Maritime Route o arctic route that connects Asia with Europe through the Arcticone of the great hopes of Moscow to develop their international trade. “Today the first ship arrived in the Kaliningrad region Northern Maritime Route“, the regional governor, Anton Alijanov, said on Telegram. He did not specify what cargo he was carrying. The photos released by the Russian official show a container ship called ‘Newnew polar bear’, AFP reports.
The ship left Shanghai and traveled along the northern Russian coast to the port of Arkhanguelsk (in the far north of Russia), before arriving at Baltisk, in the Kaliningrad region, a Russian enclave at the gates of the European Union. Her final destination is Saint Petersburg (northwest), former Russian imperial capital, Alijanov explained.
Russia hopes that this route, more practicable due to global warming and melting ice, can one day compete with the Suez Canal, especially in the hydrocarbon trade. “It will be cheaper and faster than the Suez Canal,” Alijanov said.
Russia’s ambition to develop trade through this sea route has become even more important to the Kremlin. with the adoption of a series of economic sanctions as a consequence of the invasion of Ukraine.
The importance of a first boat russian arctic route It represents the beginning of relevant changes both from the geostrategic point of view and due to the environmental consequences. From the first point of view, it is relevant in the new pole of international relations between China and Russia. Global warming is favoring the economic activity of countries located further north and the Arctic area, with increasingly longer melting periods, is an example.
The Russian nuclear agency Rosatom, announced this same year that it has a fleet of atomic icebreakers ready to regulate the use of the Arctic route. And it is already negotiating with oil companies to redirect the transportation of Russian crude oil from the ports of the Baltic Sea to the Northern Maritime Route (NMR), which passes through the Russian Arctic, in order to better transport it to Asia. The Chinese, for their part, are eager to channel their products to Russia by sea, and in the future to even reach the ports of northern Europe.
The embargo imposed by European countries on the supply of Russian oil and petroleum products has opened a new window of opportunity to transport more goods through the Arctic.
Cost savings
The Arctic Route was launched in 2011 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, but it was considered a medium or long-term project. It was not expected that this new commercial corridor could operate before 2035, so today’s announcement means accelerating the deadlines. Any ship has to travel 10,600 kilometers to reach the north from the Russian city of Murmansk to the Chinese port of Shanghai, while if it chooses to cross the Suez Canal it will need to travel 17,700 kilometers. Furthermore, the journey through Suez takes 35 days on average, while the artery promoted by Russia represents a saving of 10-12 days per ship, which would also save up to 500 million euros per year thanks to the lower level of carbon dioxide emissions. . Although this is theory, since The intensive use of that maritime route could mean an environmental disaster difficult to justify. The latest forecasts already indicated that at the beginning of 2024, year-round navigation on the Arctic route will already be possible. If these forecasts come true, around 80% of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) could be sent to China via this route.
Not only Russian companies show interest in the Northern Maritime Route, but also companies from the other BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the Middle East, according to Rosatom. An economic bloc interested in the Northern Maritime Route as a viable alternative to the Suez Canal would be strengthened around trade.
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