Maersk Line is set to take its first vessel through the Northern Sea Route to explore the operational potential of the high north.

The 3,600-teu Venta Maersk (built 2018) is set to depart Vladivostok for St Petersburg in the coming days, the Financial Times reports.

Maersk will use the trip to collect data and examine the feasibility of the route, but does not expect the short-cut from Europe to Asia to be a replacement for its existing network.