Nordic Orion
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Nordic Orion |
| Owner: | Bulk Nordic Orion Ltd. |
| Operator: | Seamar Management S.A. |
| Port of registry: |
Panama City,  Panama
|
| Ordered: | 27 March 2006 |
| Builder: | |
| Laid down: | 10 June 2010 |
| Launched: | 17 December 2010 |
| Completed: | 4 February 2011 |
| Identification: |
|
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Bulk carrier |
| Tonnage: | |
| Length: | 225 m (738 ft) |
| Beam: | 32.31 m (106 ft) |
| Draught: | 14.089 m (46 ft) |
| Depth: | 19.39 m (64 ft) |
| Ice class: | DNV ICE-1A |
| Installed power: | MAN 6S60MC-C |
| Propulsion: | Single shaft; fixed pitch propeller |
| Speed: | 12.9 knots (23.9 km/h; 14.8 mph) |
MS Nordic Orion is a Danish bulk carrier registered in Panama City. A coal and ore carrier, Nordic Orion has a capacity of 75,603 tonnes deadweight (DWT). It was built in 2011 by Oshima Shipbuilding. Nordic Orion has an ice-strengthened hull. It is owned and operated by Nordic Bulk Carriers.
Nordic Orion was the first large sea freighter to transit the Arctic Northwest Passage since global warming opened the route. The ship started its voyage from the Port Metro Vancouver, Canada on 6 September 2013 carrying a cargo of 73,500 tons of coking coal. Nordic Orion completed its voyage through the passage on 27 September stopping at Nuuk, Greenland and reached its destination, the Port of Pori, Finland on 9 October 2013.
Northwest Passage shortened the distance between Vancouver and Pori with 1,000 nautical miles compared to traditional route via the Panama Canal. Fuel savings were approximately $80,000. Nordic Orion was also able to load 15,000 tons more cargo than sailing through the Panama Canal due to its depth limits.
The journey has been described as an opening of a new era on the commercial use of Arctic. It has also caused a lot of criticism among environmental organisations like Bellona Foundation and some Canadian experts. Michael Byers, an expert at the University of British Columbia warned about shallow waters and icebergs that may cause risk even to ice-strengthened ships. According to Byers, Canada's search and rescue capabilities in the Arctic area are poor.
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