Maersk sends first container ship to Arctic

Maersk plans to send the first container ship from East Asia to Europe via the Arctic Ocean. The newly built 'Venta Maersk' was set to leave Vladivostok, where it berthed on Aug 22, 2018, later this month. It will sail through the Bering Strait and over the top of Russia en route to St. Petersburg, taking what is known as the Northern Sea Route. The trial wa designed to explore an unknown route for container shipping and to collect scientific data. Maersk did not see the Northern Sea Route as an alternative to our usual routes. The 'Venta Maersk', which can carry roughly 3,600 containers, is designed to withstand waters as cold as minus 25 degrees Celsius (minus 77 degrees Fahrenheit). It will transport a cargo of goods including frozen fish on the trial voyage, after which it will be deployed in Europe's Baltic Sea. The ship's crew of 26 have been given special training to withstand the harsh conditions. Maersk currently had no plans to launch commercial services on the route, which is only viable as shipping lane for about three months every year. The company would also need to invest in more vessels capable of handling Arctic conditions.