Is newly traversed passage through the Arctic about to revolutionise shipping?

Is newly traversed passage through the Arctic about to revolutionise shipping?

Article:

1. The article discusses about the melting of Arctic sea ice sooner due to climate change and the newly emerging sea routes due to this phenomenon.

Important Facts:

2. The two main sailing routes through the Arctic:

• Northwest Trail-  runs along the Canadian coast,
• Northeast Passage- through Siberia. It is shortest route connecting the Far East to Western Europe.

3.Recently few cargo vessels  passed through the Russian Arctic on a trial journey as a result of melting sea ice.

4. Due to climate change resulting in some parts of the Arctic warming upto 100% faster than elsewhere, ancient, thick ice is disappearing.

5. Extent of declining Arctic Sea Ice

• The sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean has declined in every decade since the 1980s.
• The average Arctic sea ice volume that was more than 13,750 cubic km  between 1985 to 2000 is expected to fall to just 3,000 cubic km on average between 2045 and 2060.

6. The emerging sea routes via melting sea ice

• Northern Sea Route could potentially cut the travel distance between East Asia and Western Europe (currently via the Malacca Strait, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden and Suez Canal) from 21,000 km to just 12,800 km, and the journey time by 10-15 days.
• As the seas warm, the ships may be able to pass directly over the North Pole from the north of Russia to the north of Canada.
• Due to “middle of the road” warming the shipping activity in the region will increase over the next decade. Russia is also likely to develop oil and gas fields in Siberia.

7. Viability of development of new sea routes

• Northern Sea Route is not yet a viable commercial alternative to existing east-west routes as the passage is only feasible for around three months a year.
• Moreover  the ice-classed vessels will require an additional investment which may not be sustainable.