中国天恩号货船将穿越北极驶向欧洲
China's cargo ship Tian'en departed the port of Lianyungang in Jiangsu Province on Saturday, starting its journey through the Arctic to Europe, reports CCTV.com.
中国天恩号货船周六从江苏连云港出发，开始穿越北极到达欧洲之旅。
As China's first cargo ship specially designed for sailing in the polar climate, Tian'en will brave the Northeast Passage to the Arctic for the first time. The route, also called the "Polar Silk Road," links Asia to Europe through the Western Pacific Ocean, the Bering Strait and the Arctic Ocean.
The vessel fully loaded with wind power equipment to be imported to European countries will travel over 18,500 kilometers to its destination during its more than one month voyage.
"Travelling through the Arctic route can help shorten the travel time by 12 days and save 300 tons of fuel oil," said Liang Jie, general manager of ship management department of COSCO Shipping Specialized, the manufacturer of Tian'en.