A Chinese container vessel has arrived in the UK following a 25-day voyage via the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the Russian Arctic.
Dubai Tower, a Liberian-flagged, 1,740TEU vessel owned by China's Sea Legend Shipping, had earlier departed Ningbo Port in Zhejiang Province and arrived at Teesport on Wednesday, September 9.
The voyage was the first to be completed by Sea Legend under its China-Europe Arctic express service.
It also proved the viability of the NSR as a shorter alternate passage for cargo ships travelling between Asia and Europe, especially as disruptions in the Red Sea continue due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Dubai Tower also called at Shanghai, Taicang and Qingdao before finally leaving Chinese waters on August 19.
Sea Legend said the ship's cargo on this voyage included photovoltaic modules, containerised energy storage systems, and other high-value items manufactured in hubs in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions.
The company intends to complete another seven voyages via the NSR for the remainder of the year. Future ports of call in Europe will include Felixstowe, Hamburg, and Gdynia in Poland.
Li Xiaobin, Chief Operating Officer of Sea Legend Shipping, told China's Global Times he expects the NSR will cut the one-way transit time from Asia to Europe by nearly half compared to traditional routes.