Arctic shipping route through Russia planned by Chinese company

China's largest shipping company has announced it will begin container voyages through Russia's Northern Sea Route, another step in the opening up of the Arctic Ocean to international shipping.

European wire serviceAgenceFrance-Pressereports thatChinesecargo-shipping giant,Cosco, will start regularly scheduled vessel service through the Northern Sea Route, also known as the Northeast Passage.

"This is significant," says MichaelByers, a Canada Research Chair at the University of British Columbia who specializes in Arctic issues.

"They are the first shipping company considering the possibility of regularly scheduled container ship traffic the kind of traffic that is the backbone of the international trading system," he says.

Cosco reportedly completed a 55-day trip between China and Europe through the Northern Sea Route this month and did a similar trip in 2013.

Arctic shipping routes will cut shipping time down between Asian and European markets. Depending on departure and arrival ports, ships travelling through the Arctic Ocean can reach the Pacific or Atlantic oceans faster than the Panama Canal.

Implications for Northwest Passage

Arctic watchers say Cosco's announcement lays the groundwork for future container ship voyages through Canada's Arctic viatheNorthwest Passage.

"This is something that makes you pause and go, 'wow,'" says RobertHuebert, a University of Calgary professor who researches Arctic issues.

"It basically lays to rest a lot of the conversation that a lot of the naysayers have had.

"Once you have the traffic up there, what's to prevent it from going over the North Pole, so to speak, just simply going through the Northwest Passage?"

Canadian Coast Guard data showthat as of Oct. 20,25 vessels have sailed between Baffin Island and the Beaufort Sea this year, compared to 14 voyages in 2014. Most of them 17 were adventureseekers or pleasure crafts.

"The shipping is coming,"Byerssays."It's just not going to be as significant and as cargo-oriented, in the sense of container ships, for a decade to come."

Byerssays that's due to the ice that still chokes the Northwest Passage, even in warmer months.

"It's not that the ice is there all the time. It's just that it's unpredictable as to when the Northwest Passage might be open or when there will be ice in the way," Byers says.

Russia's Arctic route is attractive to shipping companies because the former SovietUnion builtmarine facilities such as portsduring the Cold Warand the country continues to invest in developing the shipping route.

Coscohas not provided a start datefor its Arctic shipping operations.The company'sCanadian offices haven't returnedrequests for comment.