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Executive Summary for January 28th

We review and analyze the latest news and most important developments in the Arctic, including a new heavy-duty icebreaker for the Canadian Coast Guard, and a Norwegian company’s vision to replace diesel-powered cruise ships with lithium batteries.

Published on Jan. 28, 2016 Read time Approx. 3 minutes

New Canadian Icebreaker Ready by 2022

The Canadian Coast Guard Service will have a new heavy-duty icebreaker to launch by 2022, the Nunatsiaq News reported.

The CCGS John G. Diefenbaker will replace the Louis St. Laurent, which was launched in 1968 and originally scheduled to be decommissioned in 2000. Engineering work on the vessel will begin in 2017. It will be able to break through ice 2.5 meters (8 feet) thick.

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper had promised the Coast Guard three new heavy polar-class icebreakers to expand its fleet, Maclean’s magazine reported last year, but he later cut back to a single vessel, the Diefenbaker. Originally estimated to cost CA$720 million, cost increases nearly doubled the price tag to $1.3 billion.

Construction had originally been scheduled to start in 2013 and completed in 2017, but the government opted instead to build the Royal Canadian Navy’s joint support patrol ships, which can break through ice 1 meter (3 feet) thick, according to the Maclean’s article.

Meanwhile, Sputnik News reports that Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom will consider remaking a decommissioned nuclear icebreaker into an Arctic floating command post, adding 20 more years to its life.

Ships Replace Diesel with Batteries

The Norwegian shipping and cruise line Hurtigruten aims to power its vessels by battery in the future, reports the Independent Barents Observer. The company’s CEO wants to be the world’s first cruise liner to run on green energy, according to the article.

Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam told the news site that he hoped the Norwegian government would provide incentives, and that the technology would be in place within 10 years. Its ships currently run on diesel.

Norway already has an all-electric, battery-powered ferry that shuttles passengers and cars across the Sognefjord on the country’s west coast. The Ministry of Transport and Communications launched a competition in 2010 to develop an environmentally friendly ferry, according to Siemens, which helped develop the technology.

Norway also has an electric fishing boat that charges its 30 lithium batteries overnight for a cost of less than €10, reports the Independent Barents Observer. The boat saves 30 to 40 percent of fuel costs. It continues to use its diesel engine when sailing out to the fishing ground and for backup power.

Oil Companies Keep Eye on Arctic

Oil companies operating in the Norwegian Arctic face harsh conditions, but haven’t bowed out of their operations yet. Offshore Engineer reports on the technologies that are developing to make the projects safe and sustainable.

The low oil prices have been a challenge for industry, Erna Solberg, the prime minister of Norway, said in a speech at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromso, Norway. She joked that recently the price of a barrel of oil from the North Sea cost less than a 4.5-kilo (10-pound) salmon. But she remains confident in the industry’s outlook, The Arctic Journal reported.

Italian oil company Eni will soon begin producing oil at Goliat in the Barents Sea, the world’s northernmost oil production facility, and Statoil has said it will go ahead with its Johan Castberg project. Solberg emphasized that the downturn was temporary and could lead to a more diversified economy in Norway.

Recommended Reads

Top image: Canada will build a new heavy duty ice breaker to replace the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent, which was launched in 1968. (U.S. Coast Guard/Patrick Kelley)

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