The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 8 January, 2024

China Still Delivering Equipment for Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 Project

As High North News reported on January 8, two ice-capable vessels, Audax and Pugnax, departed Penglai, China, carrying LNG modules for Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project. Transiting through the Northern Sea Route, the two heavy lift vessels will be escorted by nuclear icebreaker and are expected to arrive at their destination, Novatek’s Belokamenka LNG construction center near Murmansk, Russia, in mid-February. Transport of such LNG production technology has been sanctioned by the EU since April 2022. (High North News)

Take 1: The latest news about China delivering essential equipment for Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project confirms the ongoing understanding that the EU’s fifth sanction package from April 2022—which was explicitly aimed at LNG technology—has not succeeded at halting Russia’s Arctic energy projects. The delivery also highlights the significance of Russia’s cooperation with China in the Arctic space and the ever-growing importance of the Northern Sea Route. Novatek previously depended heavily on Western shipping companies to deliver its China-built modules, but despite the sanctions, the Arctic LNG 2 project began production in December 2023, with the first shipments expected in the first quarter of this year. Red Box Energy Services, the shipping manager of the vessels Audax and Pugnax, has formally changed its headquarters from the Netherlands to Singapore, and recent reports of a Luxembourg-based company providing insurance for the two vessels—as well as a tanker carrying Russian LNG anchoring in Norwegian waters in April 2023—raise additional questions about the effectiveness of EU sanctions. While Russia has, for the most part, been successful in replacing Western technologies and expertise, it still faces the challenge of shipping its LNG. Russia has used a variety of tactics to evade Western sanctions targeting its energy sectors, including a “dark fleet” of old tankers with obscure ownership and shifting the distribution of ship services among many companies based in various countries. As tensions remain, it is likely that Russia will continue to receive equipment from China and use these tactics to support its growing Arctic investments. (Bloomberg, High North News, High North News, High North News, The Guardian)

Record Winter Tourism Season in Tromsø Underway

As The Barents Observer reported on January 4, Tromsø in Northern Norway is experiencing its busiest winter tourist season to date. The number of direct flights to Tromsø has doubled since 2018, now totaling around 20 from various European locations, and a new airport terminal is currently being built to support the increase in winter air traffic. The majority of tourists, hailing mainly from Europe, Asia, and a growing number from India, are drawn to Tromsø primarily to experience the northern lights. (The Barents Observer)

Take 2: The winter tourism boom that Tromsø has seen since 2022 points to the unrealized tourism potential in the Arctic as well as its potential challenges. Tourism experts cited by The Barents Observer point out that Tromsø is well-positioned to take advantage of the increasing interest in winter tourism, especially in tour packages to view the northern lights. Tromsø has highly favourable conditions for northern lights sightings, and unlike competing locations in northern Sweden or Finland, winter temperatures are significantly warmer. Tromsø also has sufficient accommodation and transport infrastructure to sustain tourist operations, especially with the ongoing expansion of the Tromsø airport. Interest in Arctic tourism seems to be growing in general, as demonstrated by the increasing number of large cruise ships calling at Svalbard. Moreover, in some cases, like that of Longyearbyen in Svalbard, Arctic communities have marked a clear transition from resource extraction to tourism. Tromsø seems to be in an especially advantageous position because of its proximity to the rest of Europe by air. Svalbard, on the other hand, reported a challenging year, with about a 15% decrease in the number of visitors, combined with high energy costs and few available flights. Nevertheless, with the Arctic rapidly changing, the record tourism boom in Tromsø illustrates a possible strategy to adapt, although sustainability concerns remain. (Arctic Marine Sustainability, High Arctic News, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, The Barents Observer)

Yukon Territory Launching an Arctic Security Advisory Council

APTN reported on January 5 that a new Arctic Security Advisory Council has been established in the Canadian territory of the Yukon. This new five-member council, chaired by historian and professor of Indigenous governance at Yukon University Ken Coates, is tasked with studying risks related to Arctic security in the territory. The council has been provided a budget of $100,000 CAN and will draft a report on its findings and recommendations for the territorial government, which is expected to be delivered later this year. (APTN)

Take 3: The establishment of the Yukon’s Arctic Security Advisory Council is a testament to the increasing perception in Canada, both nationally and locally, that there needs to be a greater focus on Arctic security and defense. The Council aims to make Arctic security a priority in the territory and to bring twenty-first-century concerns—such as strategic minerals, energy security, and cybersecurity—into policy and military considerations. The Council is comprised of distinguished scholars and policy advisors who have focused on the themes of the Canadian North and Arctic security throughout their careers. Even though the recent announcement of Canadian investment in NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) modernization has been welcomed in the Canadian Arctic security policy space, no funding was allocated to the Yukon. Both Coates and Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai mention that many people in all three territories—the Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories—feel that they are routinely omitted from considerations about security and especially from security funding. This feeling has been particularly pronounced when it comes to the many First Nations in the territory, and even more so after NORAD shot down a still-unidentified aerial object in central Yukon in spring 2023. Canada has been criticized for falling behind on commitments to Arctic security, and the Yukon’s Arctic Security Council is an indication that Arctic defense and security are becoming territorial and provincial priorities. The Council could bridge the gap between the territory and the federal government, ensuring a comprehensive approach to Arctic security. (APTN, CBC, Government of Yukon, Yukon News)

Norway Approves Deep Sea Mining in the Arctic

Bloomberg reported on January 9 that the Norwegian Parliament has approved commercial mineral exploration on the continental shelf in Norwegian Arctic waters. The passing of the measure comes after a cross-party deal between the government and major opposition parties to gradually open deep-sea mining was announced last month. The sulphide crusts on the Norwegian continental shelf appear to contain large quantities of zinc, while the manganese crusts contain cobalt. (Bloomberg)

Take 4: The news that the Stortinget, the Norwegian Parliament, has approved a partial opening of Norway’s Arctic continental shelf to mining points to Norway’s growing focus on deep-sea mining opportunities in the Arctic and on exploring the commercial potential of its continental shelf. In 2019, an act specifically designed to regulate mineral activities on the Norwegian shelf—the Seabed Minerals Act (havbunnsmineralloven)—came into effect, and at the beginning of 2024, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (Oljedirektoratet) changed its name to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate (Sokkeldirektoratet, lit. the Shelf Directorate). Both of these developments signal the growing importance of the continental shelf, as well as Norway’s desire to shift attention away from oil drilling and toward a more varied resource extraction portfolio. Preparatory work for the opening of select areas to commercial mineral mining has been ongoing since 2017, including the surveying of large parts of the northern Norwegian Sea and sampling metals and minerals found there. The analyses of the sulphide and manganese crusts found in the continental shelf revealed high contents of copper, zinc, and cobalt, as well as rare earth metals. These materials are essential for new technologies, including the manufacturing of electric car batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines. Although these minerals are critical for the energy transition, many scientists and environmental groups warn that deep-sea mining could cause catastrophic damage to one of the last untouched ecosystems on Earth. Thus, Norway’s continued actions to permit these mining activities call into question its environmental commitments. (Bloomberg, Norwegian Offshore Directorate, Norwegian Offshore Directorate)

Researchers Collect eDNA Autonomously in the Arctic

Phys.org reported on January 9 that Portuguese researchers from the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC) at the University of Porto have conducted an experiment in autonomous eDNA (environmental DNA) collection in the Arctic. The scientists developed an innovative autonomous biosampler that is capable of collecting planktonic communities on its own. In combination with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that navigates using acoustics and AI, the biosampler successfully sampled water at a depth of 15 metres from melting glaciers in Kongsfjorden near the Ny-Ålesund Research Station in Svalbard. Environmental DNA (eDNA) refers to the genetic material naturally left behind by organisms in their environment, offering a non-invasive method to monitor and study biodiversity. (Phys.org)

Take 5: The report of the successful autonomous sampling of eDNA showcases the varied research taking place in Svalbard, particularly around the Ny-Ålesund Research Station). The experiment highlights the importance and potential of autonomous technology for carrying out currently otherwise impossible research in challenging Arctic conditions. This technology combines two highly innovative pieces of equipment developed by INESC TEC, and is currently capable of operating at depths up to 150 metres. According to the team of researchers, the goal is to be able to operate this technology at 1,000 metres. The team’s ability to use autonomous technology is a breakthrough in research capabilities. Environmental DNA sampling in the Arctic could provide valuable insights into marine microbial ecosystems, especially in previously unreachable deep waters. It could also be instrumental in better monitoring biodiversity and the effects of climate change on these understudied environments. Improvements in autonomous sampling technologies could make such monitoring much more readily available in the Arctic. Such initiatives have already shown promising results, as evidenced by the successful identification of individual polar bear genotypes from snow samples in northern Alaska. Supporting further research into eDNA and autonomous sampling technology holds great promise not only for our understanding of Arctic ecosystems but also for shaping future conservation and research strategies in this rapidly changing region. (Anchorage Daily News, Frontiers in Conservation Science, Phys.org, The Guardian)