The first container ship of the "Arctic Express" that set sail on September 23 has successfully arrived at the Felixstowe Port in the UK, taking about 20 days for the entire journey. By comparison, train transport takes about 25 days, and passing through the Suez Canal takes about 40 days. More importantly, this route is controlled by Russia, offering high stability. Due to the good relations between the two sides, it will not face arbitrary restrictions.
This route has significant advantages. First, the shortened voyage has greatly reduced fuel costs, with a maximum saving of over 15%. Additionally, there is no need to pay the high toll fees of the Suez Canal (the single fee can reach $400,000 - $500,000). Second, it can effectively avoid the geopolitical risk areas of traditional routes (such as the Strait of Malacca, the Red Sea, etc.), and is less affected by regional conflicts and pirate threats, making the route independent and safe.
This "Ice Silk Road" is an important strategy for Russia's national development, promoting the development of resources and economic growth in the Arctic region. Currently, the commercial value of the Arctic route is rapidly rising. Data shows that the annual cargo volume of the Northeast Passage has increased from 4 million tons in 2014 to 37.9 million tons in 2024. The Russian government has also set an ambitious goal to increase the cargo volume of this route to 150 million tons by 2030. Global climate change has caused the melting of Arctic sea ice, objectively extending the navigation time of the route. Currently, the Arctic route is navigable from mid-July to mid-October each year. At the same time, Russia is vigorously investing in building a powerful icebreaker fleet (including several nuclear-powered icebreakers) and improving the navigation support system, and it is expected to achieve longer or even year-round navigation in the future.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845971255021579/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.