Northern Sea Route

Northern Arctic shipping route — often called the Northern Sea Route (NSR) or Northeast Passage — which connects the Far East (Asia) to Europe via the Arctic Ocean north of Russia is one of the most strategically significant emerging maritime corridors of the 21st century. The Northern Arctic Route represents one of the most significant shifts in global shipping geography since the opening of the Suez Canal. It offers substantial time and fuel savings on the Asia-Europe corridor and direct access to Arctic resource exports, but remains limited by ice, cost, infrastructure, and politics. Over the next few decades, its role will likely grow — not as a wholesale replacement, but as a strategic alternative and a new axis of maritime trade in a warming world.

Barry describes the route, challenges facing it and a recent strategically important containership passage marking the start of a potential new express service