The first petrochemical reactors manufactured by the Republic of Korea have been dispatched from the port city of Ulsan. The freight is now making its way to the port of Sabetta via the Northern Sea Route, TASS reports citing Russia's Trade Mission in Seoul.

The vessel is scheduled to arrive at the port of Sabetta on August 15. On August 25, the reactors are expected in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, where Russia's Irtysh Shipping Company will forward the reactors by river.

According to the TASS news agency, this is the first time South Korea is using the Northern Sea Route to transport high-tech equipment. The reactors, which are used for the catalytic dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, were produced by Hyundai Heavy Industries for the Pavlodar Oil Chemistry Refinery (Kazakhstan) under a contract with Global Engineering Technology. Each of the two reactors weighs about 600 metric tons. To deliver the reactors via the Northern Sea Route, the Dutch ship Happy Dover was chartered.

"Opening the Northern Sea Route for international shipping will turn foreign transport and logistics companies toward Russian ports, the navigation system and the icebreaker fleet," representatives of the Trade Mission explained. If this shipment is completed successfully, South Korea's shipping companies will use the Northern Sea Route regularly.