China’s Sea Legend launches Polar Silk Road, offering 18–25-day Arctic service to Europe in 2026

Chinese shipping company Sea Legend has launched a regular seasonal service between China and Europe through the Arctic, advertising voyages of 18–25 days as exporters seek alternatives to shipping routes affected by Middle East conflict.

Sea Legend’s service forms part of China’s “Polar Silk Road”, also called the “Ice Silk Road”, and follows the Northern Sea Route along Russia’s northern coast. Its shorter journey offers potential time and fuel savings, although seasonal ice, high operating costs and environmental hazards constrain its wider use.

The Dubai Tower is identified as the first vessel operating the regular service, sailing from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. The 2026 programme follows a trial voyage in 2025, a distinction documented in Xinde Maritime News’s report on the seasonal service.

Faster deliveries and a longer sailing season

The Dubai Tower carries electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar equipment, connecting Chinese exporters with Britain’s Felixstowe and Teesport and other major European ports.

The advertised China-Europe Arctic passage of 18–25 days compares with more than 40 days through the Suez Canal and about 50 days around the Cape of Good Hope. These are service comparisons, rather than fixed journey times for every vessel or itinerary.

Arctic waters were previously covered by ice for much of the year, restricting northern navigation to the warmer months. Rising temperatures and melting sea ice are extending the period during which ships can use the route.

Meanwhile, Houthi attacks around the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea and restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz have increased interest in alternative shipping corridors. Japan, South Korea and India were also exploring the Arctic option, while China had moved ahead with a regular scheduled container service.

“Unrest in the Middle East has exposed the vulnerability of traditional routes, making the Arctic route a strategically important alternative,” Li Xiaobin, Sea Legend’s chief operating officer, was quoted as saying.

Li said the company aimed to extend its annual navigation window from three to four months to six to eight months within three to five years. Its longer-term ambition is year-round operations within five to ten years.

Russia’s role and the commercial obstacles

China’s interest in Arctic shipping predates the latest service. President Xi Jinping called for China and Russia to develop polar shipping routes together in 2017.

Dexter Tiff Roberts, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the venture could deliver a strategic advantage for China even if its initial commercial returns appeared limited. Beijing’s description of itself as a “near-Arctic state” reflects that wider ambition.

Carlos Santana, director of a supply-chain programme at IE University, described the development as a fundamental shift in global shipping routes that could substantially strengthen China and Russia’s position.

Much of the Northern Sea Route runs through Russia’s exclusive economic zone. Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom oversees navigation permissions and provides nuclear-powered icebreaker support, leaving Chinese operators heavily dependent on Russian cooperation.

President Vladimir Putin wants the route to help reshape global trade. Western sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have also increased Moscow’s dependence on Beijing.

The commercial case remains contested. Edward Rhys Jones, an Oxford University researcher, said navigation remained confined to a short summer season. Even with continued Arctic warming, he argued, year-round ice-free passage remained decades away.

“The route is not yet commercially viable because costs are so high,” said Vidya Mani, an associate professor at the University of Virginia.

Jordi Torrent, a consultant and secretary-general of the MEDPorts Association, argued that the absence of intermediate cargo calls was a significant commercial weakness. He contrasted the Arctic passage with the Suez route’s network of major ports where ships can collect and deliver goods.

A shipping corridor with geopolitical consequences

Expanding Chinese and Russian activity in the Arctic has raised European security concerns. NATO has launched its Arctic Sentry initiative to strengthen security coordination in the region.

Alejandro Reyes, an adjunct lecturer at the University of Hong Kong, said European businesses could benefit from shorter deliveries but would also face greater dependence on a shipping corridor controlled by Russia.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said countries were seeking new freight routes to reduce their exposure to narrow Middle Eastern chokepoints.

President Donald Trump’s administration has also moved to expand US Arctic capabilities through additional icebreaker procurement. Trump’s pursuit of Greenland forms part of Washington’s efforts to counter Chinese and Russian influence in the region.

Environmental risks beyond fuel savings

A shorter voyage can reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per journey. Environmental concerns extend beyond those potential savings, however, because increased traffic introduces additional pollution and accident risks into a fragile ecosystem.

Heavy fuel oil is particularly troublesome in freezing conditions because it breaks down slowly. A spill trapped beneath sea ice can be extremely difficult to recover, while the remoteness of the route and limited logistical support complicate emergency operations.

Specialist teams could take several weeks to reach a stricken or grounded vessel, increasing the danger of lasting environmental damage.

International restrictions already address part of that risk. The International Maritime Organization’s prohibition on using or carrying heavy fuel oil for use as fuel in Arctic waters took effect on July 1, 2024. Some ships with protected fuel tanks have until July 1, 2029 to comply, and Arctic coastal states may grant temporary waivers for their own flagged vessels in their waters until that date. Search-and-rescue and dedicated spill-response vessels are exempt. 

Black carbon from ships’ exhaust also contributes to warming. Deposited soot darkens snow and ice, reducing their ability to reflect sunlight and increasing heat absorption. Black carbon particles can remain in the atmosphere for up to two weeks.

More shipping also means more underwater noise from engines and propellers, potentially disrupting marine animals’ behaviour and communication. Heavier traffic increases the risk of collisions with marine mammals and other wildlife in important conservation and fishing areas.

CMA CGM, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Hapag-Lloyd are among the carriers that have signed the Arctic Shipping Corporate Pledge to avoid Arctic shipping routes. Their participation is recorded in Ocean Conservancy’s announcement of the pledge.

Maritime-law specialists and environmental researchers warned that a single serious accident in harsh polar conditions could cause damage that is exceptionally difficult, or impossible, to reverse.

Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University, described Arctic shipping as a way to spread risk rather than a complete substitute for existing routes. The corridor cannot currently replace either the Strait of Hormuz or the Suez Canal.

Source: Bangkokbiznews Krittapol Sutheepattarakool, ABC, Aljazeera, El Pais, Global Times, The Guardian, The New York Times