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Arctic Circle News

03 Nov 2023

US Awards More than $653 Million for Port Projects

© druid007 / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced over $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).The investments—part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history, nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—are intended to help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland…

30 Oct 2023

US Opens Northernmost Diplomatic Station, in Arctic Norway

© jamenpercy / Adobe Stock

The United States on Friday opened its northernmost diplomatic station, highlighting the increased importance of the Arctic region for Washington at a time when cooperation among Arctic nations has been hit by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the opening of the station, in Tromsoe, Norway, in June, as a means for the United States to have a "diplomatic footprint above the Arctic Circle"."Symbolically, it is significant," Andreas Oesthagen…

31 Aug 2023

NPS Research on Coast Guard Icebreaker to Enhance Arctic Readiness

During a seven-week Arctic transit aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB 20), Dr. Nita Shattuck from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) will study the impact of the extreme environment on crew performance and potential mitigations. Additional research includes assessment of an Amos01 3D printer installed by David Dausen from NPS’ Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE), and specially instrumented to measure the impact of adverse Arctic sea conditi

During a seven-week Arctic transit aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB 20), researchers from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) will study the impact of the extreme environment on crew performance and potential mitigations, as well as advanced Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies in adverse sea conditions.The studies, which commenced with Healy’s departure from Kodiak, Alaska on Aug. 26, will be led by principal investigator Dr. Nita Shattuck, a professor in the NPS Operations Research (OR) department.

25 Jul 2023

Energizing Naval & Coast Guard Missions

US Navy’s DDG 1000 destroyer (image credit, US Navy)

Moises DelToro at GE Vernova’s Power Conversion business, discusses how deploying a Ship’s Electric Grid is a flexible way to accommodate growing energy demands for naval and coast guard vessels.A new age of electrificationWe’re in a new naval era and it is reshaping views about fleet mixes and capabilities. Modern fleets need to be mission-configurable, highly capable for military advantage, adaptable for technology insertion, but still affordable. The growing demand for vessel power is increasingly an enabler for mission systems, not just for platform propulsion.

24 May 2023

World's Biggest Aircraft Carrier Sails into Oslo for NATO Exercises

The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford © U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins (File Photo)

The world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, sailed into Oslo on Wednesday, a first for such a U.S. ship, in a show of NATO force at a time of heightened tension between NATO and Russia over the war in Ukraine.The ship and its crew will be conducting training exercises with the Norwegian armed forces along the country's coast in the coming days, the Norwegian military said."This visit is an important signal of the close bilateral relationship between the U.S.

07 Feb 2023

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Ferry Project Moves Forward in Norway

(Image: Norwegian Ship Design)

Sweden-based PowerCell said it has signed a letter of intent to negotiate final terms concerning one of the marine industry’s largest hydrogen fuel cell projects. Headed by Norwegian electrical integrator SEAM, the project comprises a pair of hydrogen fuel cell powered ferries for passenger and cargo transport in northern Norway, scheduled to enter service in 2025.Torghatten Nord in January 2022 won a contract from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration for operation of the ferry routes crossing the Vestfjord between the Lofoten Islands and Bodø in northern Norway.

21 Nov 2022

Walrus Spotted in Normandy Port, Miles from Polar Circle Habitat

©amheruko/AdobeStock

A walrus was spotted in the northern French port of Dieppe in Normandy, miles away from its natural habitat around the arctic circle, local French authorities said on Saturday.The sea mammal, usually found in Greenland, Russia or Alaska, did not show any sign of ill health, the local prefecture said in a statement. Local authorities cordonned off the area on Friday evening to protect the tusked animal, which was resting onshore, according to a picture tweeted by the prefecture. It dived down on Saturday morning and disappeared.

11 Feb 2022

MOL Nets Charter in Russia for New Ice-breaking Condensate Carrier

Illustration only - ©Mikhail Perfilov/AdobeStock

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed a charter contract for a newbuilding ice-breaking tanker that will transport condensate from the Arctic LNG 2 Project on Russia’s Gydan Peninsula.The contract was signed by a MOL subsidiary with the project company, whose largest shareholder is Russia-based PAO NOVATEK. The vessel,  slated for delivery in 2024, will be constructed in China by Guangzhou Shipyard International Company, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC).

08 Feb 2022

US' Sole Heavy Icebreaker Arrives in Antarctica

(Photo: Diolanda Caballero / U.S. Coast Guard)

The 157 crewmembers of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) arrived at McMurdo Station in Antarctica Monday following an 86-day transit from the United States and the cutter’s departure from its Seattle homeport Nov. 13.This deployment marks the Polar Star’s 25th journey to Antarctica supporting Operation Deep Freeze, an annual joint military service mission to resupply the United States Antarctic stations in support of the National Science Foundation, lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program.Each year…

16 Sep 2021

Zinus Wins Ferry Charging System Contract

MF Fannefjord is one of the Fjord1 ferries that will use an autonomous charging solution from Zinus. (Photo: Geir Løvbugt / Fjord1)

Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) has ordered Zinus’ autonomous charging solution for electrification of the ferry connections Bognes-Skarberget and Drag-Kjøpsvik in Nordland county – above the Arctic Circle.From December 1, 2022, both routes will be operated by the ferry company Fjord1. Bognes-Skarberget is an important part of the E6, the main thoroughfare through northern Norway, while the 15-kilometer-long crossing from Drag to Kjøpsvik will be the longest electrified ferry connection in Norway.

11 May 2020

Russia Tracks US, British Naval Ships in Barents Sea

The Royal Navy Type-23 Duke-class frigate HMS Kent (F78), front, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) conduct joint operations to ensure maritime security in the Arctic Ocean, May 5, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of the Royal Navy by Royal Navy Photographer Dan Rosenbaum)

Russia’s Northern Fleet is tracking a group of U.S. and British naval vessels which entered the Barents Sea on the morning of May 4, the Russian Defence Ministry was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.The U.S. Navy said earlier that four U.S. Navy ships and a Royal Navy vessel had entered the Barents Sea to conduct maritime security operations in what it called the challenging environmental conditions above the Arctic Circle.It said U.S.

01 May 2020

US, UK Navies Conduct Antisubmarine Drills in the Arctic

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) makes her approach alongside USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) and USS Porter (DDG 78) for a connected replenishment (CONREP) to receive fuel and stores, April 28, 2020. CNE-CNA/C6F, headquartered in Naples, Italy, oversees joint and naval operations, often in concert with Allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. (U.S. Navy photo)

U.S. 6th Fleet (C6F) conducted a bilateral naval anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise with the U.K., above the Arctic Circle, May 1, 2020.Four ships from two nations, a U.S. submarine, and a U.S. P8-A worked together, in the Norwegian Sea, to conduct training in the challenging conditions in the Arctic.For the exercise, Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) and USS Porter (DDG 78), and fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6), were joined by the Royal Navy's HMS Kent (F 78). Additionally, a U.S.

16 Mar 2020

ABB Supporting Sustainable Arctic Shipping

(Photo: Sovcomflot)

High in the Arctic Circle lies the Northern Sea Route, one of the planet’s vital shipping arteries. It cuts a journey by almost a third compared to the southern route but it is passing through waters which are mostly frozen.The northern route connects east and west, allowing cargo to be transferred from northern Europe to northeast Asia, via the Bering Strait. It’s a 30% faster passage than the southern Europe-Asia alternative via the Suez Canal and is attractive to shipping companies, thanks to considerable fuel and emission savings.

14 Nov 2019

USCG PSC Equals meaningful Polar Presence

An emperor penguin poses for a photo in front of the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star in McMurdo Sound near Antarctica on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018. The crew of the Seattle-based Polar Star is on its way to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2018, the U.S. military’s contribution to the National Science Foundation-managed U.S. Antarctic Program. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Nick Ameen.

The Coast Guard needs a ship that can do more than just break ice; it needs a multi-mission ship to provide for the nation’s security, asserting its sovereign rights, and protecting its long-term economic interests. That ship is the Polar Security Cutter.Since Russia cashed the check in 1867 for the purchase of Alaska the U.S. has been an Arctic nation. Today, it is one of eight countries that have territorial land or seas above the Arctic Circle or in the polar region (six of those countries have Arctic Ocean coastline or an exclusive economic zone above the Arctic Circle). The U.S.

03 Jul 2019

Inmarsat, Space Norway to Launch Arctic Satellites

Inmarsat will introduce two new satellite payloads dedicated to the Arctic region in a partnership with Space Norway, and its subsidiary Space Norway HEOSAT.The new Global Xpress (GX) payloads support the rapidly growing demand among both commercial and government users for seamless, reliable, high-speed mobile broadband services in the Arctic and throughout the world. They specifically address rising demand for high-speed mobile broadband Fleet Xpress service capability from the merchant shipping…

02 Jul 2019

Mitsui, JOGMEC join Arctic LNG-2

Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co and state-owned Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) have signed a sales and purchase agreement with Russia’s Novatek for a 10% participation interest in the Arctic LNG 2 project.The share will be acquired through the Dutch Company, Japan Arctic LNG B.V., in which Mitsui has invested jointly with JOGMEC. The equity ratio of JOGMEC and Mitsui will be set at 75 percent and 25 percent respectively.The project will develop natural gas and liquefaction facilities with a production capacity of 19.8 million tonnes per year from the conventional onshore gas field located on the Gydan Peninsula within the Arctic Circle…

29 May 2019

ABB Opens Marine Service Center in Russia

Photo: ABB

The new Marine Service Center builds on a decade of local ABB services in support of ice-going vessels and relies on a strong core of engineering expertise in Murmansk. In 2009, ABB’s engineers operating from smaller scale service facilities in Murmansk supported 15 vessels featuring the group’s equipment; in 2019, the number of ships has exceeded 50, with projects covering over 100 Azipod propulsion units. Responding to the needs of a growing customer base, ABB has expanded its service capabilities by opening a new…

09 May 2019

Finland-Norway Rail Link for Arctic Sea Route

A Finnish company said on Thursday it planned to develop a railway connection between north Finland and Norway's Kirkenes port to link with potential Arctic shipping routes at an estimated cost of between 3-5 billion euros ($3.4-5.6 billion).Global warming has reduced ice coverage in the Arctic, opening up the possibility of new and shorter shipping lanes between north Europe and Asia, though control of routes is disputed.Finland's Finest Bay Area Development said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Norway's Sør-Varanger Utvikling to investigate how to build a railway and its impact on the environment, society and the economy."An Arctic railway would connect Finland to the Northeast Passage," Kustaa Valtonen, a director at Finest Bay Area Development, said in a statement.

24 Feb 2019

Royal Marines Light Up Arctic Circle

UK's Royal Marines lit up Arctic fjords and valleys as they laid down mortar rounds in the dark during winter training in Norway, said a press release from the Ministry of Defence.Illumination shells bathed the striking mountainscape around the small town of Bardufoss – roughly half way between Tromsø and Narvik – in an eerie light as the men of 40 Commando’s Mortar Troop conducted fire missions.The live firing is the latest chapter of the Royal Marines winter deployment inside the Arctic Circle, Exercise Aquila 19, which sees all aspects of the commando’s abilities – in the air, on the water and on the ground – tested so they remain…

21 Feb 2019

Round the Clock Business Demands Seamless Comms

Network Innovations and its inland waterways connectivity solution eliminates “dead spot” coverage woes. And, not a moment too soon.The bane of inland operators – or at least one of many – has always been the dearth of reliable and economical vessel-to-shore communications. Even in America’s heartland where cellular coverage is routinely billed as seamless, so-called ‘dead spots’ persist. Sometimes, this happens at the worst possible moment for an operator who has myriad far flung assets on dozens of remote inland waterways. For a long time, satellite service has not been deemed economically feasible for inland operators. Beyond that, unlike blue water deep sea operators, there was little need to download data or employ software solutions in every day operations.

24 Jan 2019

GAC Pushes Further into Arctic

GAC Norway opens new Arctic Circle branch at Tromsø in response to growing demand, said the company.Sitting 300km north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø is the largest urban area in Northern Norway and serves as a portal to the Arctic. It is a popular port of call for cruise vessels, including those specialising in winter tours to treat their passengers to spectacular views of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis).Tromsø is also growing in popularity as a base port for the oil & gas and offshore industries.In the past two years, GAC has seen a significant increase in activity at the port, following the signing of two new cruise contracts.

15 Jan 2019

Barclays Rejects Arctic Drilling

U.K.-based international bank Barclays  announced a new energy policy that significantly restricts the bank’s financing for the exploration or extraction of oil and gas in the Arctic.The policy  rules out funding for companies seeking to drill in the Arctic Refuge as well as other climate change threats.According to the British multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in London, arctic oil and gas refers to new exploration and extraction of oil and gas in the area within the Arctic Circle which is subject to sea ice, and includes the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Coastal Plains.The ANWR…

08 Jan 2019

Navy to Deploy Surface Ships to Arctic

The U.S. Navy may follow up October’s carrier strike group operations in the Arctic with another foray into the icy High North, with leadership considering sending a group of ships into a trans-Arctic shipping lane this summer, the Navy secretary said.Much has been made of potential Arctic shipping lanes opening up as ice melts and more areas become navigable, said a press release from USNI NEWS.An expected uptick in commercial shipping and tourism in the Arctic region has put some urgency on the U.S. Coast Guard’s plans to build a fleet of icebreakers, as well as the Navy’s interest in having a more visible presence in the region.Navy Secretary Richard V.