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Last Updated: Jun 29, 2009 - 8:41:11 AM |
A report published by DNV, the Norwegian classification society,
concludes that the heavy ice strengthening of hulls, upgrading of
equipment and components, and requirements to minimise emissions and
improve ice breaking capabilities must be implemented in order to
establish regular year-round trans-Arctic operation of container ships.
Climate change, which is causing summer ice to lessen and possibly not
occur in the future, has initiated the new focus on the alternative
route. The North East Passage north of Russia is most promising, while
shipping north of Canada is more complicated since the remaining ice is
drifting westward towards Canada.
The DNV feasibility study concludes that no year-round regular
container shipping trades crossing the Arctic area are foreseen within
the coming decades, even if the trans-Arctic route will significantly
reduce the sailing distance between some of the world’s major markets.
Morten Mejlænder-Larsen, DNV’s programme director for Arctic shipping,
says: “Future ice conditions in the Arctic until 2050 have been
estimated by using the same climate models as the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change. The predictions show a continuous decrease in
ice extent, concentration and thickness. However, even in 2050, the ice
conditions will remain heavy during winter and spring.”
Container operations today are based on JIT delivery, which is
difficult to achieve in changing ice conditions. A focus on fuel
consumption and more flexible ways of operating container vessels may
change this in the future. An extended focus on temporary trading
during the summer months is also expected.
Maritimt Forum recently conducted a conference on Arctic Shipping in
Bodø, Norway and plans to conduct a similar conference in Brüssels. The
conference is scheduled for the end of November/beginning of December
this year.
Source:Ocnus.net 2009
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