Can this be right? Forget the northwest passage, forget panama, forget pirates, let’s just ship right through the middle of the arctic ocean. Bremenports thinks it will be happening in only 14 years.
[QUOTE=Emrobu;191888]Can this be right?[/QUOTE]
Wishful thinking!
See the preliminary, purely technical, feasibility study from 2012 >>>
http://www.bremenports.de/misc/filePush.php?id=3130&name=final_book.pdf
[QUOTE=Urs;191891]Wishful thinking!
See the preliminary, purely technical, feasibility study from 2012 >>>
http://www.bremenports.de/misc/filePush.php?id=3130&name=final_book.pdf[/QUOTE]
I have read that report and cannot see the negative aspect to call it “wishful thinking”.
I agree that the route across the Arctic Ocean and specially built large, powerful and ice strengthened container ships to carry cargo on this route is some time in the future, but that it will happen is very likely.
It will require a hub port at each end. Finnafjörður on the North-eastern point of Iceland is a likely place on the Atlantic end. The other end will either be in Alaska, or on Russian side of the Baring Strait. (Which will depend on who can act quickest when the demand arises)
The Northern Route will likely become passable year around for ice strengthen ships without ice breaker assistance. When that happen there will still be a need for hub ports at either end of the Arctic route. The most likely places on the European end will then be on Kola Peninsula, or in Northern Norway. (Both with ice free ports for transshipment to normal ships)
PS> This is already happening with Crude Oil from Siberia, being transshipped on Kola: http://www.tschudiarctic.com/page/162/Transshipment_Services
That transshipment cost money is a fact, but to sail large ice strengthen ships long distances in ice free waters are also expensive.
Exiting times ahead in the Arctic is for sure.