Maersk to Sail Arctic Route in Shipping First

Maersk Line, the world’s biggest container liner, has outlined plans to sail the first containership from East Asia to Europe via the Arctic.

The route has long been mooted as it can slash travel time, however it is also heavily controversial as the existence of the ‘Northern Sea Route’ through the Arctic has been created by global warming.

The vessel chosen for the mission if the Venta Maersk, a freshly built ship that will complete the journey by the end of the month.

"This is a trial designed to explore an unknown route for container shipping and to collect scientific data," Maersk said in a statement.

"Currently, we do not see the Northern Sea Route as an alternative to our usual routes."

The Venta Maersk has been specially designed to withstand extremely cold temperatures, and the crew onboard are undergoing special training to deal with the Arctic climate.

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