PanStar Acro returns to Busan after Arctic trial round trip

South Korean container ship PanStar Acro returned to Busan on October 11 after a 50-day voyage to Europe and back through the Arctic. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it was the first such round trip by a South Korean container ship.

The vessel left Busan on August 22 and entered the Arctic Ocean on August 31. Its route included the Northern Sea Route, crossing the Chukchi, East Siberian, Kara and Barents seas and the Laptev Sea.

It reached Felixstowe in Britain on September 12 and Rotterdam the following day. On the return journey, it called at Gdansk before crossing Arctic waters again. It arrived six days later than planned, with no incidents reported during the voyage.

PanStar Acro has a capacity of 2758 TEU and departed carrying 837 TEU of cargo. One TEU is equivalent to a twenty-foot container.

South Korean vessels used the Arctic route in 2013 and 2016, but the country's container ships had not previously completed a round trip along it. Authorities will assess transit times, costs and fuel consumption.

The government plans regular services by 2030 and larger vessel capacity by 2035. Completion of the trial voyage does not yet mark the launch of a scheduled service.