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HMM mulls Arctic Sea route for Asia-Europe shipments from 2020

HYUNDAI Merchant Marine Co (HMM) is looking into the viability of regularly transporting cargo between Asia and Europe via the much shorter Arctic Sea route, which is said to be more accessible because of global warming.

According to Maeil Business News Korea, the carrier plans to deploy 2,500- to 3,500-TEU vessels on the Arctic sea route in 2020.

"A plan is being discussed to put an icebreaker before a commercial container vessel, or use an ice-class vessel specially designed for ice navigation," said one source.

The new shipping route, the shortest maritime path linking Asia and Europe, stretches from Busan port in Korea to the Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East to the Arctic sea and to Europe. Shipment from Busan to Rotterdam that normally takes 24 days could be shortened to 14 days if the polar route is used instead.