The tanker Stena Polaris has arrived at its destination in South Korea, the port of Yosu, successfully completing her voyage along the Northern Sea Route, Stena Bulk said in a press release.
The Stena Polaris began her voyage on 17 September from the Russian port of Ust Luga in the Gulf of Finland.
For part of the voyage of 8,400 nautical miles, the tanker sailed in a convoy headed by a Russian nuclear powered icebreaker through the harsh North-East Passage.
Sailing to South Korea via the North-East Passage compared with sailing via the Suez Canal, India and the Strait of Malacca cuts 10-13 days off the voyage. A medium-sized tanker such as the Stena Polaris saves around 400 tons of fuel. This represents savings of SEK 2 million in addition to environmental benefits since the voyage takes fewer days.
Patrik Svahn, Manager Commercial Operations in Stena Bulk’s office in Gothenburg was on board the Stena Polaris.
The Stena Polaris is owned by Concordia Maritime and has been time-chartered by Stena Bulk for this project.
Ship's specifications: LOA: 183 m, beam: 40 m, draft: 11.3 m, DWT: 65,000 tonnes.
The P-MAX tankers were designed and built by Stena and Concordia Maritime. They have a double hull, optimum corrosion control, two engine rooms with full water and fire integrity and two propulsion systems. Double propellers and rudders and a specially designed bridge layout give the tanker extremely good maneuverability and a 360° view, which facilitate safe navigation in narrow waters.
Stena Bulk is one of the world’s leading tanker shipping companies specializing in transportation of crude oil and refined petroleum at sea. The company is engaged in developing, building tankers, as well as in manning and chartering the vessels out.