Many countries have launched projects aimed at diversifying international shipping routes and delivering goods faster than traditional routes, the main one being the Suez Canal.
Below are the most famous transport projects that can compete with the Suez Canal as a global shipping artery:
Northern Navigation Corridor:
The Northern Navigation Corridor runs through the Arctic and connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the Arctic Ocean. Russia is working with great interest on the development of the maritime corridor.
Moscow plans to use this corridor to export oil and gas to foreign markets, especially since most of it is practically ice-free. In the future, the Northern Navigation Corridor is expected to become the main trade route for the delivery of goods between Europe and Asia.
In August 2022, the Russian government approved a plan for the development of the Northern Navigation Corridor until 2035, and the total amount of funding for activities is about 1.8 trillion rubles (almost $30 billion).
Traveling from Asia to Europe takes an average of 23 days via the Northern Corridor and about 34 days via the Suez Canal, according to a report published by The Washington Post, indicating an abundance of cost and time.
In a report published on the crossing of a Maersk container ship many years ago, the newspaper called the northern navigation route “the Russian Suez Canal,” noting that Russia aims to turn the passage into the largest shipping port in the world.
North-South Corridor:
The shipping corridor “North-South” is a multimodal corridor from the Russian port of St. Petersburg to the port of Mumbai in India and ports overlooking the Persian Gulf, with a length of 7.2 thousand km and passes through the territory of Iran.
The north-south shipping corridor includes three international shipping routes: through the Caspian Sea (using railways and ports) and two land routes, western and eastern.
According to the report of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the volume of cargo traffic along the corridor doubled, reaching 2.3 million tons in the first quarter of 2023.
By 2030, it is planned to increase the volume of cargo traffic along the route to 15-17 million tons per year.
In an effort to complete the North-South strategic transport project, Moscow and Tehran signed an agreement earlier this month to build a 162-kilometer railway between the port of Astara and the city of Rasht in Iran.
The extension of the railway between Astara and Rasht will ensure the movement of freight trains along the entire corridor.
Touching upon the importance of the railway project between Astara and Rasht, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an example of the fact that the period of delivery of goods from St. Petersburg provides significant savings in time and money.
Iraqi shipping artery:
A few days ago, Iraq launched a project that observers say could rival the Suez Canal as a new Iraqi project reduces travel time between Asia and Europe.
The project is estimated to cost $17 billion to link an important port for goods on its southern coast to the Turkish border by expanding the rail and road network.
The development road is designed to link the oil-rich port of Faw in southern Iraq with Turkey, turning the country into a transit hub by cutting travel times between Asia and Europe in an attempt to compete with the Suez Canal.
The Iraqi government is envisioning high-speed trains carrying goods and passengers at speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour, in addition to extending lines to local industrial and energy centers, which may include oil and gas pipelines.
According to the plans, the main transport routes will be connected with the main port of Fao on the coast of the Persian Gulf. By modernizing and building more than 1,200 kilometers of railways and roads linking Iraq with neighboring countries.
Despite projects being launched that could compete with the Suez Canal, experts agree that the Suez Canal will retain its importance as a shipping artery for years to come.
Source: agencies
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