Friday, September 21, 2018

Brendon Petersen — A Container Ship Is Sailing Through Russia's Arctic Passage for the First Time

On August 23, the container ship Venta Maersk left the Russian port of Vladivostok and headed to Bremerhaven in Germany. Normally, a trip like that would take the Venta Maersk through the Suez Canal on a 34 day trip. Instead, the ship will sail through the sea north of Russia on a route that will only take 23 days. 
Last week, the Venta Maersk passed through the Sannikov Strait, the narrowest and most hazardous part of its journey, and is expected to arrive in Germany by the end of the week. Once it arrives, it will become the first container ship to complete a successful route through the Arctic Circle.
However, Maersk says that this doesn’t mean container ships will be flocking to the Arctic anytime soon. The route is only open for three months from July to October, and any ships looking to sail in this region have to be specially outfitted to sail in ice-filled water. These extra considerations make the route less profitable than it might be otherwise....
Popular Mechanics
A Container Ship Is Sailing Through Russia's Arctic Passage for the First Time
Brendon Petersen

5 comments:

Konrad said...

Yo, right-wing morons...as the polar ice caps recede, tell me again why anthropogenic climate change is merely a "conspiracy theory."

One half of the planet is suffering from a permanent drought; and the other half from catastrophic flooding. Hurricanes, typhoons, and wildfires become more numerous and destructive each year. Summer temperatures set new records each year.

But don't worry. It's all a "conspiracy theory."

Konrad said...

Incidentally I have a fantasy about the US government building huge canals or underground pipelines across the USA to channel water from places that have frequent flooding to places that have a permanent drought. This would create jobs, while alleviating flooding and droughts.

Unfortunately the U.S. government "has no money."

Andrew Anderson said...

This would create jobs, while alleviating flooding and droughts. Konrad

We could call it the "US Interstate Water System" - another idea for which I was pilloried at Naked Capitalism, a sad bunch of hide-bound conservatives.

Andrew Anderson said...

With exceptions, of course, not including Yves.

Andrew Anderson said...

Or Wasserbahn if you prefer, Konrad?