Cover Story Breakbulk & Project Cargo
The Northern Sea Route offers a 3,000-mile savings versus the Suez Canal.
Demonstrated interest
Lured by shorter voyage times and commensurate cost savings, Wagenborg is among a raft of shipping companies that have dipped their propellers into the frigid Arctic waters since the northerly routes became commercially viable due to warmer conditions about 15 years ago.
Wagenborg, which has previously described its Arctic operations as“ knocking on the door of the North Pole,” has steadily increased the number of voyages via the Northwest Passage since its first voyage in 2016.
“ Wagenborg has completed over 50 successful commercial transits of the Northwest Passage, establishing a proven track record... in a route in global shipping that is gaining importance and number of transits,” van der Linde said.
Those transits include seven in the 2024 season and four this year, with Wagenborg vessels being the first and last ships to enter the Northwest Passage for the 2025 season, according to the SPRI. The Atlanticborg was the first vessel to transit the route at the start of this year’ s season on Aug. 6, while the ill-fated Thamesborg, which grounded in Franklin Strait, closed the transit season on Oct. 14 after being trapped for 33 days.
Van der Linde said the advantages of shorter voyages and cost savings have to be weighed against the challenges of ice navigation, seasonal limitations and environmental protection.
“ All transits are undertaken with extensive planning, including the use of low-sulfur marine gas oil, a relatively slow operating speed, and enhanced navigation and communication systems,” he said.
The carrier has a fleet of 33 ice-class ships ranging between 4,300 and 22,000 deadweight metric tons( dwt).
According to the SPRI, Wagenborg’ s voyages this year have included cargo from Finland to Indonesia onboard the 15,750-dwt Alaskaborg and cargo from Turkey to Canada’ s Bathurst inlet shipped by the 19,500-dwt Taagborg, which continued to China. The 15,570-dwt Atlanticborg also made an unusual return transit through the Norwest Passage after transporting cargo from Québec to South Korea and returning with anodes from China to Québec.
“ I don’ t think we will transit via the Northern Sea Route so soon because of the ongoing Ukraine war.”
Other multipurpose and heavy-lift vessel operators, including BigLift Shipping, have used Arctic routes in the past, although the company said none of its ships have used the Canadian Arctic route since 2023.
8 Journal of Commerce | December 2025 www. joc. com