Hong Kong-flagged and owned container ship NewNew Star has become the largest non-ice class box ship to travel across the Arctic.
The 3,534 TEU vessel departed from Nansha in southern China on August 22 with destination St. Petersburg. The vessel passed through the Bering Strait and entered Russia’s Northern Sea Route on September 4.
With a gross tonnage of 35,975 tonnes across a length of 231 meters it surpasses all previous containerships in the Arctic in size. It also became one of the first box ships without any ice protection to attempt the Arctic transit.
The vessel’s owner, Yangpu NewNew Shipping Company, has previously connected ports in China and Russia via the Arctic using a number of smaller ice-capable containerships. NewNew Star is the company’s largest vessel and part of its effort to establish routine summer-season liner service to Arkhangelsk and St. Petersburg.
NewNew Star entering the Arctic Ocean on September 4. (Source: Shipatlas)
During 2023 Yangpu completed seven transits of the Arctic with four different vessels. For this summer and fall it aims to complete a dozen trips and with three months left in ice-free shipping season it appears on track to achieve its goal.
Its vessels NewNew Moon, Xin Xin Hai 1, Xin Xin Hai 2, Xin Xin Shan have all received permits for the route with some already completing several voyages.
NewNew Moon is sailing around a week ahead of NewNew Star departing Tianjin on August 12. It is currently passing through the East Siberian Sea.
Xin Xin Hai 2 completing an Arctic roundtrip. (Source: Shipatlas)
Meanwhile, Xin Xin Hai 1 is finishing an eastbound voyage with destination of Rizhao, China while Xin Xin Hai 2 is already completing its second transit connecting Arkhangelsk with Tianjin as part of a return trip. Xin Xin Shan also completed its initial routing to Arkhangelsk.
Beijing and Moscow have agreed to jointly develop and commercialize the Northern Sea Route in the Russian Arctic. The deal was signed in the Chinese city of Harbin last week between the Director of Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, and China's Minister of Transport, Liu Wei.
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