Commercial vessels transited the Northeast Passage!

“… It was reported under German’s Beluga Group website that two of their ships, the MV Beluga Fraternity and MV Beluga Foresight, successfully transited the fabled Northeast Passage, having arrived in Siberia from South Korea by travelling around Russia’s Arctic coast line. Global warming and melting ice made the journey possible. These Beluga vessels are the first non-Russian commercial vessels to transit the entire passage. 

A journey from South Korean to the Netherlands, for example, is about 11,000 nautical miles (12,658 miles). By going northward and using the North East Passage, approximately 3,000 nautical miles (3,452 miles) and 10 days could be shaved off? That means lower fuel costs ?

“To transit the Northeast-Passage so well and professionally without incidents on the premiere is the result of our extremely accurate preparation, as well as the outstanding team work between our attentive captains, our reliable meteorologists and our engaged crew,“  said Beluga President and CEO Niels Stolberg.  The carrier is planning more Northeast Passage journeys for 2010, probably using new Super Heavy-lift P-class vessels that will be launched beginning in fall 2009…further info >> “