The EU Finally Gets It, Leading to New Possibilities for Us Comment: While Norway is refusing to adjust its position on the EU, the EU recently adopted a new strategic resolution for the Arctic that could have a major impact on Norway and the High North. Its most notable feature is the recognition of increased militarization in the North.
Wants to Assess Possibility of Nuclear Power in Svalbard Svalbard kjernekraft AS has submitted a proposal for assessing the possibility of nuclear power to the Governor of Svalbard.
Wants to Assess Possibility of Nuclear Power in Svalbard Svalbard kjernekraft AS has submitted a proposal for assessing the possibility of nuclear power to the Governor of Svalbard.
Russia to Earn $160bn in Taxes From Northern Sea Route by 2035, Arctic Region Accounts for 7.5 Percent of GDP New government figures highlight the critical role the Arctic plays in Russia’s economy. Projects along the main shipping corridor may generate massive tax revenues over the next decade and account for growing share of the country’s export and GDP.
EU Imports of Russian LNG Decrease by One-Third During Month of April For the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine EU imports of Russian liquefied natural gas have recorded a significant drop. Figures for April indicate a 35 percent reduction in deliveries in comparison to the same period last year. But it remains unclear if the reduction is just a temporary decline or the beginnings of a shift away from supercooled gas from Russia.
Germany Can’t Shake Russian Gas: LNG Purchases from Arctic Yamal Project Skyrocket Germany joined France, Belgium, and Spain as key importers of Russian LNG in 2024, a new study reveals. German energy company SEFE, federally-owned by the government, imported 58 shipments from Yamal LNG into the EU port of Dunkirk, a 650 percent increase over 2023. Some of this Russian LNG finds its way into Germany counter to its government’s assurances that it does not import Russian gas.
Russian Sovcomflot to Operate Sanctioned Zvezda Arc7 LNG Carrier for Arctic LNG 2 Despite mounting Western sanctions Russia’s largest shipping company Sovcomflot appears set to operate ice-capable LNG carriers for Arctic LNG 2 currently under construction in Russia. New photos show the SCF logo being painted on the side of the lead vessel,Aleksey Kosygin.
Norway's MFA on All the Nordics in NATO: "The Significance Hasn't Quite Hit Us Yet" Tromsø (High North News): With the new Nordic security policy community and close defense cooperation follows great opportunities for more interaction between Norway, Finland and Sweden also in other areas of society. "We have to learn how to take advantage of this," says Norwegian MFA Espen Barth Eide.
The Story of How Green, Arctic Energy Becomes AI in Israel Commentary: Are you one of many wondering where the clean, green surplus energy in the North goes? I will give you part of the answer. It is dispatched via a closed mine north of the Arctic Circle and ultimately becomes artificial intelligence (AI) in Israel.
Freyr Continues With Plans for One of Two Factories in Finland The Norwegian battery company Freyr abandons its plans for the battery cell factory in Finland but keeps the door open for a cathode factory.
A Nuclear Power Renaissance? Reykjavik (High North News): Nuclear power as an energy source is heading for the Arctic. "There is a nuclear power renaissance in the US. The challenge is that nuclear energy is associated with weapons," says Senior Researcher Gwen Holdman at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power.
Is It Time for Nuclear Power in the Arctic? Reykjavik (High North News): The world is on the hunt for clean and carbon-free energy, and nuclear power is on the menu as the High North convenes in Reykjavik for the Arctic Circle conference. But is the Arctic ready?
All Ready for the Transition From Coal to Diesel in Longyearbyen The transition from coal to diesel will occur in late October or early November when the tank facility in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, is filled with winter diesel.
Can a Finnmark Power Package Full of Paradoxes Still Be a Good Idea? Commentary: I have lived a long life within political journalism but have never seen a political construction similar to the power package the government served Finnmark and Northern Norway the other day. An act full of absurdities and paradoxes, but not without significance for the region.
China To Supply Key Turbines to Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 The Arctic LNG 2 project clears a major, and possibly final, hurdle. Chinese suppliers will deliver essential gas turbines allowing Novatek to open the LNG plant in 2023.
Here, Russia Could Cut Off Eastern Finnmark's Power Skogfoss (High North News): Eastern Finnmark is at the center of a serious energy crisis. However, what few people know and even fewer wants to talk about is that Russia controls 1/4 of the energy supply on the Norwegian side. No one wants to answer what will happen if Russia decided to turn off the lights in Finnmark.
German Oil and Gas Company Faces Criticism For Slow Exit from Russia German oil and gas producer Wintershall Dea withdraws from its Russian joint venture in the Arctic. The company faces criticism for its late departure and accusations that gas condensate it produced may have been used by Russian fighter jets over Ukraine. Wintershall Dea also plays a significant role in oil and gas in Norway, including Snøhvit and the upcoming Irpa project in the Arctic.
The Arctic Can Free Us From the Iron Grip of Dictatorships (Commentary) If anyone still doubts the Arctic's role as an industrial and democratic engine in an uncertain world, the last few days have provided some news. In Sweden, which is currently taking over the presidency of the EU Council, the state-owned mining giant LKAB took the opportunity to report a discovery that could destroy China's commodity grip on the Western world.
Greenland and Norway Wants to Produce Green Ammonia With Greenlandic Wind A Greenlandic and a Norwegian company have signed a letter of intent to start building Greenland's first commercial wind park. If realized, the park will supply power for the production of green ammonia.
Elkem Curtails Production in Norway Due to High Power Prices Elkem ASA is reducing production in Norway by temporarily shutting down two melting furnaces due to power prices.
It Hurts to Read About the Jacuzzi Hardships (Commentary) When the demand for a commodity is greater than the supply, prices rise and consumption is reduced. In theory, but not necessarily in politics. While Europe fights the energy crisis, Norway’s response is a drastic increase in consumption.
Not in My Back Yard: What Society Needs, but No-One Wants to Live Next To “We want mobile phones, but no mines. We want electricity, but not to live next to windmills. We want the end product, but it should not be produced where we live”, says Elisabeth Gammelsæter. Now, she has written a book about the NIMBY phenomenon; Not in My Back Yard.
Finland Releases 369,000 Barrels of Crude Oil to the Market From Emergency Stockpiles This collective action helps to provide stability to the oil market as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
When The State Undermines Northern Industrial Initiatives Commentary: Equinor struggles to find out how to use its overwhelming profits. That does not keep the Norwegian state from continuing to subsidize the company both through direct support as well as free access to electric power.
Close Co-Operation about Svalbard Last week, the government’s third minister came to visit Svalbard. The Ministers of Justice, Trade, and Climate and Environment cooperate closely about the future of the archipelago.
How Were the Experts to Know that the Sun Would Shine and the Wind Would Quiet? Commentary: Europe is freezing and Norway makes more money on gas exports than ever before. Russia is shutting its taps, while China puts new coal plants to work in order to face the energy crisis. I am talking – like everyone else – about the price on power. About an international market under pressure from “all” sides.
Trump Moves to Reverse Obama’s Drilling Ban in Arctic Waters Today, the US department of the interior is ending a 45-day long public comment period that will help decide whether the ban on drilling in Arctic waters could be reversed.
