Tag: Arctic

As CBC Canada reports, dozens of grey whales have been found dead along the West Coast in recent weeks, while some scientists believe the cause lies in the heated-up Arctic waters off Alaska. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 58 grey whales have been found dead so far for 2019, in sites stretching from California to Alaska

ABB opened a Marine Service Center in Russia aiming to support the growing Arctic maritime industries. The newly inaugurated center aspires to support ABB’s ship power, propulsion and automation technologies and expand service capabilities for ice-going vessels. The new center occupies 2,000 m2 in a purpose-built facility with electrical and mechanical testing areas, and a workshop served by overhead gantry cranes.

Russia deployed a nuclear-powered icebreaker on May 25, under its program to expand its fleet of the ships. This move aims to improve its ability to leverage the Arctic’s commercial possibilities. Now, the ship 'Ural' is one of three vessels that when completed will be the largest and most powerful icebreakers globally.

As a meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 74) in London closed Friday, the Clean Arctic Alliance expressed frustration over Member States' lack of action to minimize black carbon emissions in the Arctic. 

In a new study, the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling informed that it has tracked changes in snow and ice cover across the Antarctic. Namely, the continent's ice sheet has thinned by up to 122 metres in places. Lead author and CPOM Director Professor Andy Shepherd, said that ice losses from East and West Antarctica have contributed 4.6 mm to global sea level rise since 1992.

COSCO confirmed its plans to increase transit shipments on the Northern Sea Route. The shipping giant aspires to operate in the Polar Silk Road and serve international trade between the North Atlantic region and the far east. Explaining why COSCO chose the Northern Sea Route, Chen Feng, General Director of COSCO Marketing and Sales, said that this route is smooth and fast.

Hurtigruten launched silent, electric-powered and emission-free catamarans. The company has collaborated with Norwegian startup Brim Explorer, in order to introduced the battery powered catamarans, which are custom built for Polar water exploration. Starting operations in the spring of 2020, the 24-meter vessel will operate in daily ocean excursions from Longyearbyen on the Arctic island of Svalbard.

The Clean Arctic Alliance urged the IMO Member States to reduce the impact of black carbon emissions from international shipping on the Arctic environment, as the UN body gathers in London for a meeting of its MEPC74. During the meeting, a number of issues, including black carbon emissions and heavy fuel oil in the Arctic will feature on the agenda.

The Secretary of the Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordic Council of Ministers published a report focusing on four main perspectives on the issues of seasonal tourism in the Arctic: local community perspectives; employment and workforce issues; the Arctification of northern tourism; and global environmental change.

A Finnish company plans to establish a railway to connect north Finland and Norway’s Kirkenes port. This aims to link potential Arctic shipping routes, while the cost of this project is estimated to be between 3-5 billion euros. The Port of Kirkenes is located above the Arctic Circle, 350 km from the northernmost parts of Finland’s railway network. The line of the railway could begin at Kemijarvi or Kolari in Finland.