Reefer containers shipped by Maersk Line from VSC by the Northern Sea Route
The first ever shipment of reefer containers to travel via the Northern Sea Route was successfully dispatched from Vostochnaya Stevedoring Company (VSC, a Global Ports Group's company). The shipment is arranged by MAERSK LINE with key partners LLC Kamchatka Lines, Norebo Group and LLC Seroglazka Terminal, VSC said in a press release.
For this trial shipment VSC first received containers with fish delivered from Kamchatka on coastal service operated by LLC Kamchatka Lines. On 26 August 185 reefer containers were loaded onto m/v VENTA MAERSK (operated by MAERSK) and sailed via the Northern Sea Route to the port of Saint Petersburg.
The transit time to the destination via the Northern Sea Route is expected to be 35 days with the vessel to arrive at the container terminal of JSC Petroleport (a Global Ports company) by the end of September.
Traditionally, fish from Kamchatka is shipped to the European part of Russia from ports in the Russian Far East by rail, or deep-sea route around the entire Eurasian continent to the European ports where they are reloaded onto feeder vessels bound for the ports in he Russian Baltic. This joint project between MAERSK, LLC Kamchatka Lines, Norebo group, LLC Seroglazka Terminal and VSC will help evaluate the potential of regular direct shipments via the new route. The distance from Vostochny port to Saint Petersburg by the Northern Sea Route is just over 14,000 km, while the ocean route via the Suez Canal stretches over 23,000 km. Transportation via the Northern Sea Route is expected to substantially shorten cargo delivery time to these important markets and significantly facilitate supply chain.
About VSC and GPI
Vostochnaya Stevedoring Company is one of the biggest container terminals in the Russian Far East. VSC is part of the Global Ports Group. VSC operates in the premises of the Vostochny Port. The total capacity of VSC is 650,000 TEUs per annum. The terminal is the starting point of the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
Global Ports Investments PLC is the leading operator of container terminals in the Russian market. Global Ports’ terminals are located in the Baltic and Far East Basins, key regions for Russian cargo flows. Global Ports operates five container terminals in Russia (Petrolesport, First Container Terminal, Moby Dik and Ust-Luga Container Terminal in the port of Saint Petersburg and Ust Luga port cluster, Vostochnaya Stevedore Company in the Vostochny Port) and two container terminals in Finland and logistics facilities Yanino and Logistika-Terminal near Saint Petersburg. The Group includes Vopak E.O.S., a petroleum terminal in Estonia. Global Ports is developing as a strategic partnership of Delo Group and APM Terminals, member of A.P.Moller-Maersk A/S Group.
