Chinese Container Ships Receive Permission to Sail Russia’s Arctic Northern Sea Route

The same day Yemen’s Houthi militants resumed attacks against multiple vessels in the Red Sea after months of calm, several Chinese container ships received permits to transit the Arctic Ocean this summer.

The vessels include the 264 meter-long NewNew Panda 1. With a capacity of 4,363 TEU it would rank among the largest container ships to transit the Arctic. It does not have an ice classification highlighting how even regular vessels can now routinely make the voyage across the Arctic Ocean during certain times of the year. 

The vessel is operated by Yangpu Newnew Shipping Co.,Ltd. The company began offering Arctic service connecting ports in Asia to destinations in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea in 2023 with seven voyages.

One of the company’s vessels, NewNew Polar Bear, was involved in an international incident when it was suspected of damaging the Balticconnector pipeline by dragging its anchor across the sea floor. That vessel’s captain appeared before Hong Kong’s Eastern magistrates’ court last week.

Last year NewNew Shipping completed 13 voyages carrying around 20,000 TEU. It expects to further expand service this year. In September 2024 two Panamax container ships crossed paths in the Arctic for the first time, just 750 nautical miles from the North Pole. 

NewNew Panda 1’s permit allows the vessel to operate on the route without any icebreaker assistance between August 10 and October 30.

A second container ship, the 2,741 TEU Xin Xin Tian 1, also by NewNew Shipping, received a permit a day after NewNew Panda 1. Its Arctic sailing window goes from August 5 to October 30. It also does not have an ice classification. 

Additional permits will likely follow as NewNew Shipping announced it would expand this year’s operation along its so-called Arctic Express Route No 1. It is also in the process of placing orders for five 4,400 TEU Arc7 ice-class container ships based on a company statement at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum last month. Vessels with such a high ice class could operate on the route for most of the year, including during winter with icebreaker assistance.

For the past several years conventional oil tankers and LNG carriers have operated on the route during the months of August, September, and October a further indication of the dramatic effects of climate change on Arctic sea ice extent. The ice-free navigation window accessible to non-ice class vessels is expected to expand further in the years ahead.

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