Teck Coal makes historic voyage through Northwest Passage on Nordic bulk carrier

A bulk carrier loaded with 73,500 tons of coking coal from Canadian miner Teck Resources has completed the first major commercial voyage through the Northwest Passage, a once-impassable route that has opened from global warming.

The Nordic Orion left the Canadian Pacific port of Vancouver on Sept. 6 and completed the polar portion of the route this week, Reuters reports. The freighter is scheduled to arrive in the Finish port of Pori on Oct. 7, where it will deliver the coal to Finnish company Ruukki Metals Oy.

This is the first bulk carrier to complete the route, which has opened up due to climate change. The Danish operator of the ship, Nordic Bulk Carriers, estimates the route saved around $80,000 worth of fuel.

The Northwest Passage across the Arctic is 1,000 nautical miles shorter than traditional shipping route through the Panama Canal, says Nordic Bulk Carriers, a company that specializes in ice class ships.

The shorter route has the potential to save time, fuel and carbon dioxide emissions, the company says. The Northwest Passage is deeper than the Panama Canal, allowing the Nordic Orion to carry 25 percent more cargo than is possible with the traditional transit route.

The Arctic trade route will be open for transit voyages for an estimated two months a year depending on the weather and ice conditions.