19 Arctic Navigation: Reflections on the Northern Sea Route

The 2010s was a busy decade for the Northern Sea Route (NSR). It started with the first shipping season to feature the international use of the NSR for commercial purposes, followed by a significant reform of the domestic legal regime, as well as the adoption of the Polar Code. The traffic has gradually picked up, and although the expectations of a significant surge in trans-Arctic navigation have not materialized, the NSR’s annual turnover has grown beyond the old records set by the USSR. While the Russian authorities have struggled to find the most optimal means of development of the NSR, the latter has recently been re-marketed as a Polar Silk Road, part of the grand Chinese One Belt One Road initiative. While Russia has been rebuilding its military presence in the Arctic, the French Navy vessel BSAH Rhone unexpectedly navigated through the NSR, inciting strong political, but yet not legal, response. The present article aims to take stock of the last decade, paying primary attention to the Russian State practice in developing, adopting, and enforcing legislation in the NSR. By describing the current status and identifying some of the regulatory trends, the article will draw cautious predictions on the role of the law of the sea in the management of the NSR in the near future.

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On the Great Silk Road—the Ice Silk Road—the road of peace and economic cooperation

Proceedings of the International conference “InterCarto/InterGIS” ◽

10.35595/2414-9179-2019-2-25-330-344 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 330-344

Author(s):

Anatoly Elchaninov

Keyword(s):

East Asia ◽

Industrial Development ◽

Far East ◽

Silk Road ◽

The Arctic ◽

Xi Jinping ◽

Northern Sea Route ◽

Arctic Sea ◽

Arctic Navigation ◽

Further Development

The project on the organization of trade relations between China and other countries arose in the second half of the II century BC. The caravan road connecting East Asia with the Mediterranean in the ancient time and to the Middle Ages was used, first of all, for export of silk from China. Therefore in 1877 the German geographer F.F. von Richtgofen called this route giving the chance for establishment of business contacts, cultural dialogue, promoting to mutual enrichment of large civilizations,—“A Silk Road”. By XV century the overland Silk Road fell into decay, sea trade and navigation began to develop. At the present stage of its development the mankind realized need of restitution of the interstate and international interaction inherent in the period of existence of the Great Silk Road. At the XXIV session of the UNESCO General conference in 1987 the project on complex studying of the Great Silk Road was developed. This international project worked according to two large programs of UNESCO: “The environment surrounding the person, resources of the ground and sea” and “The culture and the future”. In the next years development of the idea of reconstruction and expansion of the opportunities put in the ancient times in the Great Silk Road continued. In 2013 the Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the concept of “A New Silk Road” under the slogan “One Belt – One Road” including the “Economic Belt of the Silk Road” and “Sea Silk Road of the XXI Century” projects. The strategy of “A New Silk Road” included the project of development of the Northern Sea Route. The Northern Sea Route—the major navigable main passing across the seas of Arctic Ocean, connecting the European and Far East ports and also mouths of the navigable Siberian rivers into the unified transport system of the Arctic. The history of the Northern Sea Route began with the first voyages of the Pomors. Development, studying and the description of sea routes of the Russian Arctic continued further. Development of the Arctic navigation promoted the beginning of the industrial development of natural resources of the region. The large-scale industrial development of the Arctic territories began in the 1930s. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 ice breakers played a large role in conducting of northern convoys. The existing ports were specially converted, new polar stations are built and also additional airfields are developed. In post-war years the Arctic navigation gained further development thanks to the commissioning of icebreaking vessels of new classes. The map of the Northern Sea Route on which the objects built in the 1930–1940s are shown is presented in the article. In July, 2017 during the visit to Russia the chairman Xi Jinping with the president V.V. Putin reached the important agreement on development and use of the Arctic Sea Route and creation of the Ice Silk Road, the sea way uniting North America, East Asia and Western Europe. Within the project of “The Ice Silk Road” tankers with production of Yamal LNG for the first time in the history went the Arctic Sea Route without icebreaking maintenance in the summer of 2018 and arrived from the Arctic port Sabbeta to the Chinese port Jiangsu Zhudong. By these flights the beginning of the regular supply of LNG across the Northern Sea Route is opened.

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Development of Transit Potential of the Northern Sea Route

Outlines of global transformations politics economics law ◽

10.23932/2542-0240-2019-12-5-109-129 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 109-129

Author(s):

M. N. Grigoryev

Keyword(s):

Mineral Resources ◽

Water Area ◽

The Arctic ◽

Sea Transport ◽

Investment Projects ◽

Northern Sea Route ◽

Frozen Fish ◽

Analysis Of Dynamics ◽

Arctic Navigation ◽

National Investment

The sectoral structure of the Northern sea transport corridor is defined, the set of the transport tasks provided to them - the international transit, import and export operations, internal transportations is considered. It is shown that in relation to the water area of the sector of the Northern Sea Route both the international, and internal transportations (big cabotage and intersectoral transportations) can be referred to transit. The analysis of transit transportations across the Northern Sea Route between the countries in 2010-2018 is carried out, dynamics and commodity structure of transit is defined. Dynamics of transit transportations of main types of freights is considered: bulk freights (oil products, gas condensate), bulk cargoes (iron ore, coal). The analysis of dynamics of in-Russian transit transportations across the Northern Sea Route is carried out; dynamics of transportations of frozen fish which transportation the possibility of creation of the year-round container line between the ports of Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and St. Petersburg contacts is separately considered. Results of development of transit transportations in 2010-2018 are generalized and the factors defining demand of transit transportations of different types of freights are defined. Assessment of prospects of development of transit freight traffic by foreign shipping companies (Maersk) is given. The conclusion is drawn that a priority of development of navigation in the sector of the Northern Sea Route is providing national investment projects - transportations of mineral resources and ensuring activity of mining companies. At the same time, creation of a steady system of transportation of the Arctic mineral resources defines problems of development of icebreaking, navigation and hydrometeorological providing that will lead to reduction of risk of the Arctic navigation and will increase appeal of the sea Arctic transport system in general. It is defined that emergency conditions for development of navigation in the water area of the Northern Sea Route are: expansion of group of the domestic Arctic linear icebreaker fleet; central planning of sea freight transportation and coordination of actions of participants which could increase appeal of use of the Northern Sea Route including for transit transportations.

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The Northern Sea Route as a Tool of Arctic Development

Russian Economic Journal ◽

10.33983/0130-9757-2019-4-21-44 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 21-44

Author(s):

Ju.V. Zvorykina ◽

K.S. Teteryatnikov

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

The Arctic ◽

Arctic Zone ◽

Investment Projects ◽

Northern Sea Route ◽

Important Region ◽

Socio Economic Development ◽

Asian Pacific ◽

Simplified Procedure

The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in the socio-economic development of the Arctic zone of Russia. The authors believe that climate change, gradually leading to the melting of polar ice, opens up new opportunities for the development of Arctic resources and navigation in the seas of the Arctic Ocean. Of particular interest to the NSR are non-Arctic countries, critically dependent on the supply of foreign mineral and carbon resources, as well as on the export of their goods to Europe. Among them, China stands out, considering the NSR as the Arctic Blue Economic Corridor as part of the global Silk Road system. The NSR is intended to become an essential tool for further development of the Arctic zone of Russia. Development of port infrastructure and creation of a modern ocean and maritime fleet will accelerate the pace of socio-economic development of this strategically important region. To do this, it is necessary to adopt a federal law on special system of preferences for investors, including foreign ones, implementing their projects in the Arctic. Among such preferences there are preferential profit tax rates, reduction in Mineral Extraction Tax (MET) rates, a declarative procedure for VAT refunds, a simplified procedure for granting land plots and unchanged conditions for the implementation of investment projects. In addition, it is important to make the NSR safe and profitable both in terms of quality of service and of price for the shippers. In particular, the payment for icebreakers’ escort of vessels should be competitive and reasonable. The largest Russian private and state-owned companies should be involved into Arctic projects. It is important to synchronize the Arctic oil and gas projects with nuclear and LNG icebreakers’ construction, as well as with the launch of two logistics hubs in Murmansk and Kamchatka. In this case, year-round NSR navigation will be organized, which will ensure the high competitiveness of Russian products supplied to the Asian Pacific markets.

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SUMMARY OF THE SPECIAL SESSION “CURENT STATUS AND PERSPECTIVE OF THE NORTHERN SEA ROUTE”

Journal of Japan Society of Civil Engineers Ser B3 (Ocean Engineering) ◽

10.2208/jscejoe.74.i_1034 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 74 (2) ◽

pp. I_1034-I_1039

Author(s):

Natsuhiko OTSUKA

Keyword(s):

Special Session ◽

Northern Sea Route

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The Visibility of Stars during Twilight

Journal of Navigation ◽

10.1017/s0373463300016301 ◽

1957 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 11-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Peter M. Millman

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Compass ◽

The Arctic ◽

Relative Importance ◽

The Moon ◽

Heavenly Body ◽

Flight Planning ◽

Arctic Navigation

One of the problems in arctic navigation by astro is the twilight period. At this time, if the Moon is below the horizon, suitable objects for sextant observation are not easy to find. The difficulty is aggravated by the fact that on certain flight paths the arctic twilight may last for many hours. It must also be remembered that in these areas the behaviour of the magnetic compass and of radio aids are often unreliable and this increases the relative importance of astro-navigation. With the introduction of the periscopic sextant into air navigation it has become possible to pre-set the instrument for a given star or planet and satisfactory observations may be possible when the heavenly body is still below the level of casual perception for the unaided eye. In this connection it is necessary to know what stars are likely to be seen under twilight conditions if efficient flight-planning is to be carried out.

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