- Chinese carrier NewNew Shipping received permits for two of its container ships to transit the Arctic without icebreaker support this summer.
- The NewNew Panda 1 and Xin Xin Tian 1 highlight how non-ice-class vessels are increasingly using the Northern Sea Route during favorable months.
- NewNew Shipping plans to expand operations and has announced orders for Arc7 ice-class ships capable of year-round Arctic navigation.
- Diminishing Arctic sea ice is extending the seasonal window for commercial shipping, drawing more activity to the route.
As Houthi militants resumed attacks on vessels in the Red Sea after a period of relative calm, a separate development unfolded in the Arctic. Several Chinese container ships, including the 264-meter-long NewNew Panda 1, received permits to navigate the Arctic Ocean this summer. Despite lacking ice classification, the vessel’s inclusion signals how seasonal conditions are increasingly allowing standard container ships to use this route. Operated by Yangpu Newnew Shipping Co., Ltd., the company launched its Arctic service in 2023, linking Asian ports to Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea. One of its vessels was previously tied to a Baltic pipeline incident, which remains under international scrutiny. This information was reported by gCaptain.
Expansion of Arctic Shipping Route Reflects New Navigation Realities
NewNew Shipping completed 13 Arctic voyages in 2023, transporting approximately 20,000 TEU, and is planning to expand its services this year. Notably, in September 2024, two Panamax-class container ships crossed paths in the Arctic just 750 nautical miles from the North Pole—a first for the region. Among the vessels scheduled for Arctic transit this summer is the NewNew Panda 1, which received a permit to operate without icebreaker support from August 10 to October 30. Another vessel, Xin Xin Tian 1, with a capacity of 2,741 TEU, was granted a similar permit the following day, covering the period from August 5 to October 30. Like NewNew Panda 1, it also lacks ice classification.
NewNew Shipping has announced plans to expand its operations along its Arctic Express Route No. 1 and is in the process of ordering five Arc7 ice-class container ships, each with a capacity of 4,400 TEU. According to a company statement at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, these new vessels will be capable of operating year-round with icebreaker support, thanks to their high-level ice classification.
In recent years, conventional oil tankers and LNG carriers have also transited this Arctic route during the late summer and early fall months, reflecting the changing ice conditions in the region. As climate change continues to reduce Arctic sea ice, the window for ice-free navigation by non-ice-class vessels is expected to widen even further.
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Source: gCaptain
