A Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker escorts ships on the Northern Sea Route, July 14 2016. Photo credit: knyazev vasily / Shutterstock 

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has reaffirmed its commitment to avoid the Northern Sea Route, citing environmental concerns and operational challenges, even as Chinese shipping companies increasingly capitalize on the Arctic passage that offers significantly shorter transit times between Asia and Europe.

“The Northern Sea Route remains underdeveloped for commercial shipping since safe navigation and transit are not assured,” MSC stated in a recent customer alert. The company emphasized that “an increase in Arctic transit traffic may also impact the fragile ecosystem of the region and the ice caps.”

MSC expressed concern about how increased shipping could negatively affect Arctic communities “by congesting existing shipping lanes and slowing down necessary traffic, which is an essential lifeline for their survival and prosperity.” The company also underscored that it has “no operational reason” to use the route as it possesses “the capacity and means to safely and reliably transport customer cargo globally without using the Northern Sea Route.”

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has reaffirmed its commitment to avoid the Northern Sea Route, citing environmental concerns and operational challenges, even as Chinese shipping companies increasingly capitalize on the Arctic passage that offers significantly shorter transit times between Asia and Europe.

“The Northern Sea Route remains underdeveloped for commercial shipping since safe navigation and transit are not assured,” MSC stated in a recent customer alert. The company emphasized that “an increase in Arctic transit traffic may also impact the fragile ecosystem of the region and the ice caps.”

MSC expressed concern about how increased shipping could negatively affect Arctic communities “by congesting existing shipping lanes and slowing down necessary traffic, which is an essential lifeline for their survival and prosperity.” The company also underscored that it has “no operational reason” to use the route as it possesses “the capacity and means to safely and reliably transport customer cargo globally without using the Northern Sea Route.”