Towards safe and economic Arctic shipping

Abstract

We present a framework for safe and economic maritime operations of Arctic cargo ships. The framework comprises analyses from various perspectives and targets at safety and fuel efficiency of existing and future cargo vessels that are designed mainly for open water operations. International and national regulatory requirements regarding Northern Sea Route (NSR) transits were examined. The Arctic shipping status and challenges are analyzed using data collected by shipping companies. This article also proved that the Arctic routes save large percentage of sailing time and fuel costs.