scholarly journals EU INTERESTS IN DEVELOPING ARCTIC SEA ROUTES

2013 ◽  
pp. 47-53
Author(s):  
N. I. Vorobyev
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Maritime Transport ◽  
North West ◽  
Northwest Passage ◽  
Northern Sea Route ◽  
Maritime Shipping ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Russian North ◽  
The Eu

The article considers the European Union’s key strategic interests in the increased use of the Arctic routes, especially the Northern Sea Route (NSR), but also the Northwest Passage. This issue is high on the agenda given the EU dependence on the maritime transport accounting for the predominant share of the Union’s trade. The EU technological, financial and human resources can contribute greatly to the development if the Arctic seaways which would in turn benefit the member states. The author notes that the EU has already actively engaged in designing the framework regulation for the Arctic maritime shipping including the legal, environmental and safety provisions. Securing an innocent passage of ships through the Arctic waters is one of the main objectives in this regard considering that none of the EU members are Arctic coastal states. Another issue at stake is delivering Arctic oil and gas reserves highly important for the EU to the continent for which developed seaborne transport is crucial. The article also gives an overview of the EU practical steps with regards to the Arctic routes including projects aimed at connecting the Union’s transport system with the Russian North West and potentially the NSR. It is noted that the EU is highly interested in exploiting the potential of the Arctic sea routes and focuses on international cooperation to achieve the goal. Increased EU cooperation with the Arctic coastal states including Russia would be mutually beneficial given the opportunities the new routes offer and the EU resources that can be used to support their development.

scholarly journals Vulnerability of Arctic marine mammals to vessel traffic in the increasingly ice-free Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (29) ◽  
pp. 7617-7622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna D. W. Hauser ◽  
Kristin L. Laidre ◽  
Harry L. Stern
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Open Water ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Northwest Passage ◽  
Northern Sea Route ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
High Conflict ◽  
Low Exposure

The fabled Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route that were once the quests of early Western explorers are now increasingly sea ice–free, with routine vessel transits expected by midcentury. The potential impacts of this novel vessel traffic on endemic Arctic marine mammal (AMM) species are unknown despite their critical social and ecological roles in the ecosystem and widely recognized susceptibility to ice loss. We developed a vulnerability assessment of 80 subpopulations of seven AMM species to vessel traffic during the ice-free season. Vulnerability scores were based on the combined influence of spatially explicit exposure to the sea routes and a suite of sensitivity variables. More than half of AMM subpopulations (42/80) are exposed to open-water vessel transits in the Arctic sea routes. Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) were estimated to be most vulnerable to vessel impacts, given their high exposure and sensitivity, and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) were estimated to be the least vulnerable because of their low exposure and sensitivity. Regions with geographic bottlenecks, such as the Bering Strait and eastern Canadian Arctic, were characterized by two to three times higher vulnerability than more remote regions. These pinch points are obligatory pathways for both vessels and migratory AMMs, and so represent potentially high conflict areas but also opportunities for conservation-informed planning. Some of the species and regions identified as least vulnerable were also characterized by high uncertainty, highlighting additional data and monitoring needs. Our quantification of the heterogeneity of risk across AMM species provides a necessary first step toward developing best practices for maritime industries poised to advance into this rapidly changing seascape.

The Northern Sea Route as a Tool of Arctic Development

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.

Arctic Europe Between National Interests and Arctic Governance

2019 ◽  
pp. 117-131
Author(s):  
Igor Kochev ◽  
Wim Heijman
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Oil And Gas Operations ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
The Eu

From an economic point of view, melting ice is making the Arctic ocean increasingly important for a number of countries – Arctic states as well as non-Arctic states. Also, the EU has clear interests in the area. This chapter provides a brief description of those interests and its implications on the EU's relationship with the Arctic partners. This note takes seven aspects of the EU-relations with the Arctic states into consideration (i.e., the institutional framework, the EU Arctic interests and policies, shipping, fishing, marine mammals, offshore oil and gas operations, and the EU's Arctic partners).

scholarly journals Digital technology risk reduction mechanisms to enhance ecological and human safety in the northern sea route for oil and gas companies

2021 ◽  
Vol 258 ◽  
pp. 06047
Author(s):  
Ishel Bianco ◽  
Igor Ilin ◽  
Alexander Iliinsky
Keyword(s):  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
New Technology ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Safety Risks ◽  
Reduction Mechanisms ◽  
Arctic Sea ◽  
Transportation Routes ◽  
Oil And Gas Companies

Climate change has removed large quantities of ice and has removed impediments to Arctic sea navigation and in doing so has opened up a new route. Most of these ice-free routes can be used for navigation including oil and gas logistics and transportation and reducing transit by more than 5000 nautical miles. While these events allow for a widening of transportation routes but many challenges naturally inherent to the Arctic are still present, for example, the risk of possible oil spills in the very sensitive ecosystem and the safety risks to crew and equipment. New Technology offers more thorough ways to minimize and manage this risk and to preserve the integrity of ecosystems, safety of people and the profits of companies where operations are more cost sensitive and difficult than in other regions of the world. This paper proposes one model of risk reduction and evaluates the best ways to reduce ecological and safety risks of oil and gas companies operating in the Arctic route. It also proposes methods to incorporate digital value into the organization through four sectors, Sustainability, Efficiency, Accountability and Profitability.

scholarly journals Geopolitics of the High North and its consequences

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryszard M. Czarny
Keyword(s):  
Power System ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Maritime Transport ◽  
Economic Opportunities ◽  
Global Power ◽  
The World

Abstract The increased interest in the Arctic by global players is generated by new economic opportunities related to commercial maritime transport, development of oil and gas deposits, mining, fisheries, and tourism. The natural results are closer economic and geopolitical relations between the Arctic and the rest of the world. Many observers perceive this development as a source of growing conflict because of competition related to control over the natural resources of the region. It seems also quite clear that the Arctic cannot follow its own original way of development which would be independent from the global power system.

Economic woes to drive Greenland's hydrocarbons effort

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Oil And Gas Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Economic Ties ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
The Eu

Subject Prospects for the hydrocarbons sector under the new government Significance After three years of GDP contraction, a new government is pursuing increased foreign investment in hydrocarbons, to boost employment and growth and to repair the budget. In the long term, Greenland is likely to emerge as an international shipping, mining and hydrocarbons centre. For now, the fall in the international oil price has seen oil exploration stop. The wish for economic development is leading a new generation of Greenlandic politicians to embark on re-integration with the EU, where a ban on seal products is the greatest obstacle to closer ties. Impacts Infrastructure and climate challenges mean that full-scale oil and gas production is at least 15-20 years away. Emerging Greenland-China economic ties may create a new alignment in the opening up of the Arctic. A relaxation of the EU seal products ban would ease negotiations on Greenland's further integration with the bloc. Enhanced EU-Greenland ties could extend the EU's role in the Arctic.

Fractal Economy of Arctic

2013 ◽  
pp. 41-47
Author(s):  
M. Slipenchuk
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
International Agreement ◽  
Northwest Passage ◽  
Northern Sea Route ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
The Status

In recent decades Arctic attracts the attention of a growing number of states. For effective international cooperation it is necessary to undertake several important steps, including legal work and adoption of documents regulating the statuses and activities of state in Arctic region. It is also needed to undertake a delimitation of sea spaces in the Arctic Ocean, to determine the measures for providing environmental safety in the regions, to reach international agreement on the status of the Northern Sea Route and Northwest Passage, to establish an innovation hub clusters and several others.

scholarly journals COMPETITIVENESS OF THE NORTHERN SEA ROUTE

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (3/2020) ◽  
pp. 72-87
Author(s):  
A. B. Nikolaeva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
National Level ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Suez Canal ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Competitive Capabilities ◽  
Northern Sea Route ◽  
International Transport ◽  
Oil And Gas Resources ◽  
Near Future

The Arctic region, including the Russian Arctic and the Northern Sea Route (NSR), is currently characterized by an increased interest of many countries of the world and international business circles. For Russia the need to develop the Arctic is indisputable, and the NSRis the basis for development of the region. In addition, the region possesses a unique transport and logistics potential. It is believed that in the future it will connect the largest markets in Asia, Europe and North America with maritime transport corridors. Climatic changes and melting of ice are increasingly opening up the NSRfor navigation, and this leads to an increase in the attractiveness of this route. At the national level, the task is todevelop possibilities for turning the NSRinto an international transport corridor, similar to the Suez Canal. However, the transit potential of the NSR is not obvious. The article is aimed to determine the competitive capabilities of the NSRand assessits transit potential in the near future. To achieve the goal, it is necessary to identify strengths and weaknesses when using NSR, to conduct a comparative analysis of the known international routes (the Suez Canal) and this route, and to reveal prospects for the transit potential of the NSR, identifying the most likely potential transit transport participant —China.As a result of the study, it was concluded that in the near future the NSR will not compete with the Suez Canal and other international routes, but will be in demand as a national transport artery for transporting extracted oil and gas resources from the fields in the Arctic part of Russia. As to the transformation of the NSR into an international transport corridor, it will take huge financial and time resources, also Russia may have to sacrifice its strategic and geopolitical interests in the Arctic, which is currently unacceptable.

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