Last summer, the northeastern passage opened at the beginning of September, as lower than average temperatures resulted in slow pace of ice melting in the Arctic Ocean.
However, large areas of sea ice still remain in the northwestern passage along the Canadian coast as at the middle of this week.
Based on GIC analysis of satellite images, ice experts at Weathernews predict this should melt away by early September, thus opening the other passage for vessels.
The NSR has used by vessels escorted by Russian icebreakers since late June. However, enough ice has melted north of the New Siberian Islands (Novosibirsk) to allow vessels to pass through the region with minimal risk of collision from now until early October, according to Weathernews’ GIC
Weathernews established GIC in 2008 to provide enhanced voyage planning services to the shipping industry. The Japan-based company calls the ice advisories it provides to vessels sailing the Arctic and other ice covered areas, the Polar Routeing Service.
The company’s voyage planning team and GIC have been providing advice since 2011 by using the Polar Routeing Service. For the past two open seasons, this service has supported about 20 voyages via the NSR.
Most of these have sailed through the northeastern passage on the Russian side. However last year, Weathernews provided a support service to the first in a long time undertaken via the Northwestern passage across Canada.
Weathernews plans to enhance support in the Arctic using data from its own compact satellite, WNISAT-1R, the company said.