Abstract: This study investigates the viability of Arctic navigation based on sea ice. First, the costs of container transport from Shanghai to Rotterdam through Arctic routes using ice-strengthened ships (Arc4, Arc5, Arc7) are compared with that of the traditional Suez Canal Route. Economic indices are annual cargo volume, unit transportation cost and annual profit. Second, the impact of different starting ports and different carrying capacity on the economy of the Arctic routes is analyzed. Results show that among the three types of ice-strengthened ships, the economy of the Arc5 is the best. By offering a large freight volume, this ship reduces the unit transportation cost and greatly increases the achievable annual profit. In terms of Arc7, although its Arctic navigation time has extended, it is economically unsatisfactory due to high building cost. Results vary greatly between ships. In contrast, the impact of ports origin on shipping economy is less than the grade of ice-strengthening on ships. In the 4000–5000 TEU range, the increased carrying capacity provides little impact on the unit transportation cost, but Arc5 can increase the annual profit by more than 50%.

Key words: Arctic routes, sea ice, ice strengthening of ships, economy, carrying capacity