Arctic News

[ombugge]

Iceland's energy company eyes the Arctic — and a transformational Greenlandic...

The biggest unresolved question is who buys the power. Green ammonia was the original frontrunner for many of the consortia involved, a post-Ukraine energy shock idea that gained momentum quickly and collapsed just as fast. It simply proved too expensive. Data centres, aluminium smelting, and a subsea cable to Canada have all been discussed as alternatives. Under the tender, any consortium must bring an energy buyer with them.

“You don’t build a plant like this without someone buying the power,” Guðmundsson said.

Greenland, he argues, is well suited to whatever that buyer turns out to be. The logic is the same as Iceland’s own industrial model. “In Iceland we export electricity in the form of aluminium, silicon, data,” Guðmundsson said. “The electricity stays, the product leaves. That is just our export — it is electricity. The same would happen there.”
Iceland’s energy company eyes the Arctic — and a transformational Greenlandic dam

Tasersiaq — a game changer

The centrepiece of all of it is a project called Tasersiaq, a hydropower site in western Greenland that has been under study for over 15 years and remains one of the largest undeveloped opportunities of its kind left in the Western world.
At around 700 MW, Tasersiaq would be comparable in scale to Iceland’s Kárahnjúkar plant, one of the largest hydropower stations in Europe. Greenland’s entire existing hydropower capacity is around 90 MW. One dam would produce roughly eight times that.

“You simply don’t find this elsewhere, not in the Alps, not in Iceland,” Guðmundsson said. “There are very few opportunities of this scale and efficiency still available in the Western world.”

[Jughead]

So they’ve found a great spot to build a massive power station … but no such power station is needed?

@ombugge

The biggest unresolved question is who buys the power.

I reckon whenTrump takes over, he’ll have an idea or two; Greenland’s St Tropez? Year round northern lights? Heating the arctic to tropical paradise levels?

[ombugge]

Right again!!
Yes that appears to be in the level with everything else he has manage to come up with, so far.
No prediction about the future and what kind of crazyness he may come up with next.

PS: Don’t make a habit of being right, somebody may start to believe. you.

[ombugge]

Who shapes the Arctic's future? A gathering in Bodø offered many options -...

It all started with a cold beer
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide kicked things off by talking about geopolitics with beer barrels as a backdrop. This was, after all, the brewinar , a format far more engaging than a typical webinar.

Brewinar at Bådin. Credit: Mariia Filiushina / Kontrafei.

Also on the governance panel was Amy Baker, Canada’s ambassador to Norway, who offered a practical definition of diplomacy. “Prime ministers sign an agreement, but what’s key is how companies and organizations work with one another,” she said. “Diplomats are here to ensure the right conversations happen and identify barriers if any.”

Preparedness, safety, resilience: these themes recurred throughout the event, often framed through policies and institutional responses to military issues. But two moments stood out for putting people, rather than systems, at the center , giving another dimension to those words.

Vesa Orassalo, a 25-year-old Skolt Sami from Näätämö (a Finnish village close to the Norwegian border), was asked who he calls in an emergency. “My Dad,” he answered simply. That got a smile from the room, but his reasoning was pragmatic. His family knows the land, so they can reach him faster than any formal rescue operation.
Orassalo also acknowledged Norway’s responsiveness, with helicopters available when hospital care is needed across the border.

What particularly stood out throughout the event is how young people’s perspectives were blended with those of high-level decision-makers.”Ten years ago, we only had the best of intentions,” said Jennifer Spence, Director of the Arctic Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School, “Now, the youth is at the table.”

FYI: Where it all begun: General 2 — BÅDIN

[ombugge]

Vyacheslav Ruksha passed away on April 26, 2026

His name is associated with the key decisions that shaped the development of the maritime sector for decades to come.
Vyacheslav Ruksha, a man whose carrier became part of the history of Russia’s nuclear icebreaker fleet, the Northern Sea Route, and the modern Arctic, passed away on April 26, 2026.
Vyacheslav Ruksha had a distinguished career starting as an electrical foreman on the nuclear icebreaker Arktika and later was promoted to Director General of Murmansk Shipping Company, First Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Head of the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport, Director General of Atomflot, and Deputy Director General of ROSATOM State Corporation, Director of the Arctic Directorate.
He belonged to a rare type of leader who combined engineering competence with a national-scale approach. For him, the nuclear icebreaker fleet was not merely an industry but a strategic tool for strengthening Russia’s position in the Arctic and the World Ocean, the backbone of sustainable shipping, industrial development of the country’s northern territories, and the future of the Northern Sea Route. The name of Vyacheslav Ruksha is associated with key decisions that determined the industry’s development for decades: extending the service life of icebreakers’ nuclear steam generators, completing the construction of nuclear-powered vessel 50 Years of Victory, preserving and developing Atomflot, formulating requirements for the next-generation of universal nuclear icebreakers of Project 22220, and strengthening the infrastructure role of the Northern Sea Route.
Vyacheslav Ruksha was and will forever remain in our memory and our hearts as a great patriot of his country, a true professional, and a person of outstanding character. His energy, will, foresight, and devotion to the Arctic made it possible to preserve the unique competencies of Russia’s icebreaker fleet and to open a new chapter in the nation’s Arctic shipping.The passing of Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Rucksha is a grievous loss for the entire country, for present and future generations.
*****May his memory live for ever! *****
Source: Maasmond Newsclippings, 109-2026.

[ombugge]

Cat and mouse game in the Arctic. But where IS the cat?:

Arctic oil hub tanker “disappears” from the map

Is this tanker going to load at Kola/Lotta? Where is it going next?:

Shadow tanker that broke Cuba fuel blockade loads Arctic crude in Murmansk

[ombugge]

Nothing new about wishing to take over Greenland:

Politics and science in Greenland

During the peace negotiations after the First World War in 1919, the Danish Foreign Minister contacted his Norwegian counterpart, Nils Claus Ihlen. Denmark was soliciting international support for extending its sovereignty to all of Greenland, not just the colonies on the west and southeast coasts. In 1916, the United States had consented to Danish control as part of the deal when the US bought the Danish West Indies. Now the Danes wanted to know how Norway would react to their bid for full sovereignty over Greenland. The Norwegian Foreign Minister stated that Norway would not oppose it, as long as Denmark supported Norway’s desire for sovereignty over Spitsbergen. Norway attained that goal the following year, when the Spitsbergen Treaty was signed.

Erik the Red’s Land

The actual occupation amounted to no more than the men exiting their cabin to raise the Norwegian flag and remove their hats. Using a string attached to the camera, they took a selfie so that all five occupiers would be included in the photo. They then went back into the station and signed a declaration that translates as: “On this day, at 5 pm, we raised the Norwegian flag and took possession of the territory from the Carlsberg Fjord in the south to the Besselfjord in the north in the name of HM King Haakon VII, and called it Erik the Red’s Land.” The declaration was telegraphed to a number of Norwegian newspapers.

Left: Building trapper’s cabins was an efficient way to demonstrate that an area was being used by Norwegians. This image shows the cabin at Kap Herschell, built by members of the Hird expedition in 1927. Right: The Norwegian flag flies in Myggbukta 27 June 1931, signalling that Eirik Raudes Land has been occupied. Trappers left to right: Hallvard Devold, Eiliv Herdal, Ingvald Strøm, Søren Richter and Thor Halle.
Photos: Norwegian Polar Institute

[ombugge]

Arctic ports and the shipping boom they aren't ready for - ArcticToday

[ombugge]

A better way of doing things:

US pushes for three new Greenland bases, with 'sovereign territory' status on...

Senior State Department official Michael Needham is leading the American side, which has met at least five times since mid-January with Denmark’s ambassador in Washington, Jesper Møller Sørensen and Greenland’s senior representative Jacob Isbosethsen. Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, has not attended any of the sessions.

The most consequential element is the proposed sovereignty designation, which would mark a departure from the 1951 U.S.-Denmark Defence Agreement under which Washington currently operates in Greenland with Danish consent. Copenhagen has historically never refused a U.S. expansion request under that treaty, but a formal sovereignty carve-out is likely to draw close scrutiny in the Folketing and in Nuuk.

More details here: US in closely guarded talks to open new bases in Greenland

Question:
Which foreign US bases is “designate as U.S. sovereign territory”?
Answer: NONE
Even Guantanamo Bay Naval Base does NOT have sovereign status:

Established in 1903, it is the United States’ oldest overseas military installation and the only one in a communist country. According to the United States’ lease with Cuba, the U.S. retains jurisdiction while Cuba maintains sovereignty over the 45-square-mile (116-square-kilometer) installation, which is surrounded by a fence line that stretches over 17 miles (27 kilometers).

Source: https://cnrse.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NS-Guantanamo-Bay/

[ombugge]

Canada is also in Arctic News today:

Canada’s Arctic security depends on more than defence — here’s how...

But a critical piece of the puzzle is often overlooked: the role of immigration and migration.
Security isn’t just military
A recent Canadian Senate report on Arctic security argues that the concept must extend beyond defence to include environmental, economic and social dimensions, especially the well-being of northern communities.
Northern Canada faces significant labour shortages, limited infrastructure and declining or stagnant populations. These challenges affect everything from emergency response and health care to transportation and construction. Without a stable work force and strong communities, Canada’s ability to maintain a consistent presence in the Arctic is weakened.

PS: The same problem exists in other Arctic regions, incl. Northern Norway

[ombugge]

Forget about multi-Bln. USD Stealth bombers, now there are drones that reach those faraway strategic places at a fraction of the cost and risk:

Emergency crews on alert at Russia’s largest LNG plant

[ombugge]

Not only me who question this “sovereignty” demand:

Ex-US Army Europe chief baffled by Greenland 'sovereignty' demand - ArcticToday

Meanwhile Greenlanders held a conference on the “Future of Greenland 2026”:

Watch: The opening video for Future Greenland 2026 - ArcticToday

More details here: Home - Future Greenland

[ombugge]

U.S. Senate delegation heads to Isfjord Radio, Svalbard

Senators Murkowski and Shaheen have previously worked together on legislation aimed at preventing the United States from attacking any fellow NATO member, including Denmark.

The Svalbard visit comes a day after the seven NATO member states in the Arctic adopted a joint statement recognising the need for greater co-operation to ensure the Arctic remains a secure and prosperous region.

Isfjord Radio - Basecamp Explorer

UNIS

[tengineer1]

Greenlanders have been spotted with red MAGA caps that say Make America Go Away.

[Tupsis]

I recall visiting Isfjord Radio when I was a student at UNIS in 2013. We were staying in a nearby cabin at Russekeila and one of our four-stroke snowmobiles didn’t start in the morning, so we towed it there and asked one of the guides for assistance. He turned the key and it started just fine…

They also had excellent French chocolate by Varlhona for sale. I bought some for the girls.

Anyway, it seemed like a nice place.

[ombugge]

Probably to protest the opening of the US Consulate in Nuuk:

Greenlanders demonstrate against Trump as US diplomats open new consulate -...

Or could it be to “honour” Mr. Jeff Landry, Trump’s special envoy, on his (uninvited?) visit there?

Trump's Greenland envoy claims country could export oil in 10 months, despite...

He said production could be running “within 10 months or so” and credited Trump as “the only president in the last 30 or 40 years to actually care about doing something and putting Greenland on the map.”

The numbers are hard to square with conditions on the ground. Greenland has no oil production, no pipeline or export infrastructure and no commercial barrel has ever been pumped from the island.

PS: There have been some offshore drilling. No major finds were made.

Geopolitical activity has resulted in renewed interest in Greenland’s natural resources, incl. onshore oil exploration:

US company raises $70 million for oil exploration in east Greenland -...

FYI: The government of Greenland officially banned all new offshore oil exploration in 2021, following which all major energy companies exited the region due to high costs, harsh Arctic conditions, and regulatory hurdles.
Source: Forbes

[ombugge]

The Arctic region is a “hot” topic these days, not only in geopolitical forum:

The Arctic Congress doubles in size as the world's attention turns north -...

[ombugge]

The heat is on — and Norway is adding fuel to the fire

The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average, with some of the most dramatic changes occurring in the Barents Sea. For us at the Barents Observer, based on its shores, this unfolding crisis has been central to our reporting throughout the newspaper’s nearly 25-year history.
Norway’s dilemma is that we are, as a nation, petroholics. We understand perfectly well that the climate crisis is driven by the combustion of fossil fuels. At the same time, we remain convinced that our prosperity depends on petroleum revenues. Like an addict who knows the damage but cannot quit. We just need to drill one more Arctic oil field before closing time.

Yet opposition to further Arctic drilling is growing across Norway, the Nordic countries and Europe. As temperatures approached 40°C in parts of Southern Europe this week, a coalition of major Nordic financial institutions, trade unions, climate scientists and political leaders issued a stark warning to the European Commission. Their message was simple: maintain the EU’s opposition to new Arctic oil and gas development.

[Jughead]

Searching for oil and gas and producing it is not the cause of warming in the Arctic. Stop joining the two. You won’t save the world by slowing or stopping the production of efficient energy.

A warm year in the arctic isn’t climate change. It’s just a warm year.

[ombugge]

@Jughead

A warm year in the arctic isn’t climate change. It’s just a warm year.

With your newfound interest in the Arctic, maybe you should read this article:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60926-8

Add on to your reading pleasure this study into the likely effects of a warming climate, carried out on behalf of The Norwegian Centre for Climate Services (NCCS):

m1242.pdf

PS: That should keep you out of mischiefs for awhile.