Sea Legend Launches Regular Arctic Cargo Service Between China and Europe, Cutting Voyage Duration by Half Compared to Suez Route

According to foreign media reports, Chinese shipping firm Sea Legend has recently launched a regular container shipping service via the Northeast Arctic Passage. The route runs directly from Ningbo Zhoushan Port to the UK's Felixstowe Port, with the shortest full voyage taking only 18 days. The company completed its first trial voyage on this route in 2025.

The 5,500-kilometer Northeast Arctic Passage traverses the Arctic Circle along Russia's northern coast. Previously only navigable during warm seasons, its annual navigable window has gradually widened as summer sea ice declines. Compared to the traditional Suez Canal route, which takes more than 40 days, this new route cuts travel time by over half, making it suitable for time-sensitive and temperature-sensitive cargo, including China's competitive export categories such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products. This marks the first time regular commercial cargo services have been available on the Northeast Arctic Passage.

Back in 2017, China proposed plans to jointly develop the Arctic Passage with Russia and build the Polar Silk Road. Following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russia shifted to a more open stance on Arctic regional cooperation. Currently, Russia's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom is responsible for issuing passage permits and managing shipping operations, while also providing nuclear-powered icebreaker support required for navigation.

Sea Legend noted that the shorter voyage can cut shipping carbon emissions by roughly half, but multiple studies show the environmental risks of the route far outweigh its emission reduction benefits. Heavy fuel oil has been banned in the Arctic region since 2024. A 2025 report from environmental foundation Bellona pointed out that heavy fuel oil has high viscosity and decomposes slowly at low temperatures. Once spilled, it is almost impossible to clean up from ice, and Russia currently lacks any capacity to respond to such leakage accidents. The route is remote and lacks logistical support, with professional rescue teams taking up to several weeks to reach a spill site.

Nitin Chopra, Chief Marine Risk Advisor for Asia at Allianz, noted that the remote location and insufficient logistics will significantly increase the probability of vessel malfunctions and groundings, threatening the fragile Arctic ecosystem. Black carbon generated from the combustion of heavy fuel oil reduces the albedo of the Arctic region, accelerating global warming.

Li Xiaobin, Chief Operating Officer of Sea Legend, said this month that tensions in the Middle East have exposed the vulnerability of traditional routes such as the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz to regional instability, increasing the necessity of developing alternative trade routes between China and Europe. Russia is also keen to promote the use of the passage, though most operators still consider the risk of Russia's exclusive control over the route too high.

Allianz Commercial's 2026 shipping safety report noted that international sanctions against Russia following the Russia-Ukraine conflict may hinder rescue processes if vessels encounter distress. Most of the current capacity on the route comes from Russia's shadow fleet, a group of mostly uninsured, under-regulated tankers primarily used to evade sanctions on Russian oil exports. Roughly one-third of cargo vessels on the Arctic Passage in 2025 were part of the internationally sanctioned shadow fleet. Favored by lighter summer ice conditions, the shadow fleet's voyage volume further increased in 2026. Recent observations show that a Russian tanker fleet with a total carrying capacity of around 8 million barrels of oil set a record for the northernmost voyage, sailing just 500 miles from the North Pole.

Vinh Thai, Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at RMIT University, noted that the annual navigable period of the Arctic Passage will further increase due to climate change. However, factors including current security concerns, high operating costs, short navigation seasons, and sanction risks will still limit the widespread adoption of Arctic shipping. It cannot yet replace traditional routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal, and an oil spill accident would trigger both environmental and economic disasters simultaneously.