Shipping containers and cranes at Busan New Port in South Korea. (Photo: AFP)
BUSAN, South Korea - South Korea was set on Saturday to send its first trial container through the Arctic, as the Middle East war rattles global shipping, while environmental groups warned the route could accelerate polar ice melt.The Middle East conflict, sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, has roiled global shipping, sending governments and shipping firms scrambling to seek alternative routes.
Sailing from Busan New Port, the container ship PanStar Acro will sail to Europe via the Arctic, testing whether a route opened by melting sea ice can be commercially viable.
“The ship will depart at 8pm today unless there are unforeseen circumstances, such as bad weather,” an oceans ministry official told AFP on Saturday.
The ship will leave for Felixstowe in Britain, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Gdansk in Poland before returning, with the voyage expected to take about 45 days, according to the ministry.
