Russian Arctic territories. Arctic strategy of Russia
Recently, Russia has been actively restoring the civilian and military infrastructure that previously existed in the Arctic and building new military, transport and logistics facilities in the region. A full-fledged army group of forces and means is being created in the Arctic, which will reliably cover Russia from this direction, and will also ensure the upholding and protection of national interests in this very important region for the country. The two main resources of the Arctic are rich natural resources and transport communications. According to scientists’ forecasts, perhaps already in the middle of the 21st century in the summer, the Arctic Ocean will be completely free of ice, which will only increase its transport accessibility and importance.
The importance of the Arctic is great; according to forecasts, up to a quarter of all potential oil and gas reserves in the world are located on the Arctic shelf. These two types of fossil fuels are still the most in demand on the planet. It is estimated that the Arctic contains 90 billion barrels of oil and 47 trillion cubic meters of natural gas. In addition to fossil fuels, there are deposits of gold, diamonds and nickel. Undiscovered hydrocarbon reserves located in potentially Russian waters are currently estimated by scientists at approximately 9-10 billion tons of fuel equivalent. Hence the desire of all Arctic countries to expand the zones of their continental shelves.
The Russian sector of the Arctic is located today not only in the Arctic Ocean, but also in the Barents and Okhotsk Seas. Currently, the Arctic already provides about 11% of national income Russian Federation, as well as 22% of the total volume of all-Russian exports. The region produces 90% of Russian nickel and cobalt, 96% of platinum group metals, 100% of barite and apatite concentrate, and 60% of copper. In addition, the local fishery complex produces about 15% of the total volume of fish products in Russia. Today, it is the Russian Federation that has the largest reserves of natural gas on the planet and ranks 8th in the ranking of states in terms of oil reserves. At the same time, Russia is the largest gas exporter and the second largest oil exporter in the world. Today our country provides about 30% of all world gas production, and under Russian ice there is more oil than in the OPEC countries combined. This is why protecting Russia’s economic interests in the Arctic region is so important.
The fundamentals of Russia's state policy in the Arctic for the period until 2020 and beyond were approved back in September 2008 at a meeting of the country's Security Council. The use of Arctic resources is the key to the energy security of the Russian Federation, and at the same time the thesis was outlined that the Arctic should become the resource base of Russia in the 21st century. To achieve this, it is vitally important to ensure reliable protection of national interests on the continental shelf.
Today, work in the Russian Arctic is carried out in almost all major points in the ocean - the Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Novaya Zemlya archipelagos, on the New Siberian Islands and Wrangel Island, as well as on the mainland - from the Kola Peninsula to Chukotka. In total, as part of the ongoing program to restore Russia’s military presence in the Arctic, it is planned to rebuild or reconstruct about 20 groups of objects for various purposes, which will form the framework of the military infrastructure in this remote region of the country.
Key Feature The military construction that is being carried out today in the Arctic is the concentration of control of all forces in the region in one hand. Since December 1, 2014, the joint strategic command “North” has been operating in the Russian Federation. We can say that in fact “North” is the fifth Russian military district, which unites under its command all ground, sea and air forces in the Russian Arctic, as well as adjacent regions. The United Strategic Command “North” was created on the basis of the headquarters and infrastructure of the Russian Northern Navy. This immediately sets a different management format and approaches to solving problems: for the first time in Russia, the basis of strategic command in this region was the fleet headquarters, which must solve the problems of controlling various troops located on a vast territory.
Arctic Trefoil is a Russian military base on the island of Alexandra Land in the Franz Josef Land archipelago
This theater of military operations is characterized by large distances. Therefore, the decisive advantage in possible disputes for the region will be that side that can provide powerful military presence at important points in the Arctic. For these purposes, the region must have a developed transport and logistics network of naval bases and military airfields capable of receiving aircraft of all types, including heavy transport and strategic bombers. That is why a significant part of the exercises of the Russian Armed Forces over the past 10 years has been devoted to the ability to quickly transfer forces by air and sea. The significance of this aspect cannot be underestimated, since absolutely all plans for recreating the Arctic grouping of troops in the Arctic and the overwhelming share of Russian military activity in the region are designed for the widespread use of the transport capabilities of the Air Force and Navy, without which any efficient operation seems unthinkable in this region.
First of all, the emphasis is on recreating an infrastructure that, if necessary, allows for the movement of troops by air and sea and does not require the presence of numerous personnel for security and daily maintenance. No less important aspect is the awareness of the leadership of the Arctic group about what is happening. This also determines the direction of today’s construction: almost half of the facilities being built in the interests of the Russian armed forces in the Arctic account for radar stations, which, in combination with ships, flying radars and means space reconnaissance, restore a continuous zone of control over the Russian Arctic.
As Vice Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, commander of the Russian Northern Fleet, said in early November 2017, the combat capabilities of the forces and assets deployed on the Arctic islands will be increased, including air defense systems. According to the admiral, a system for monitoring the surface and underwater situation along the NSR - Northern Sea Route routes is being created in the Arctic today. Work is underway to create a zone of complete airspace control over the Russian area of responsibility. Also, according to Nikolai Evmenov, each Arctic island on which there are Northern Fleet bases is equipped with all-season airfields that will be able to host aircraft of various types.
New anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Northern Fleet (Novaya Zemlya archipelago), photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
The air defense capabilities of the Arctic group of forces will be strengthened next year by a new air defense division. It will appear in the Arctic in 2018, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The new connection will be focused on protecting Moscow and the Urals from possible attacks from the North Pole. The air defense regiments deployed here will be focused on detecting and destroying aircraft, cruise missiles and even unmanned aircraft. aircraft probable enemy. Experts note that the new division will in the future become the most important component of the country’s air defense system, covering the territory from Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka. The Izvestia newspaper, with reference to the Russian Aerospace Forces, reports that regular activities will begin in 2018, since the fundamental decision to form a new air defense division has already been made. It is reported that the formation will include not only newly formed units, but also units already on combat duty in the Russian Arctic.
Currently, the skies of the Arctic are protected by soldiers of the 1st Air Defense Division. It reliably covers the Kola Peninsula, Arkhangelsk region, Nenets autonomous region and the White Sea. A regiment stationed on Novaya Zemlya was recently included in this division. The 1st Air Defense Division is armed with the most modern types of weapons, including the S-400 Triumph air defense system, the S-300 Favorit air defense system and the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun systems.
According to military historian Dmitry Boltenkov, the new air defense division created in the Arctic will take control of the northern direction (from Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka), providing reliable protection for the Central Economic Region of the Russian Federation (including Moscow), as well as the Urals and its industrial centers. At the same time, the already existing 1st Air Defense Division will focus mainly on the defense of the Kola Peninsula and the Northern Fleet bases located in this area. According to the expert, there is nothing special to cover with anti-aircraft missile regiments from Novaya Zemlya to Chukotka, but it is necessary to create a continuous radar field. In his opinion, the new air defense division will receive a large number of radar stations, which will be located at the newly created Arctic outposts, perhaps even on Kotelny Island and the Temp airfield.
Tiksi airfield
It is worth noting that 10 military airfields in the Arctic, the construction program of which began 3 years ago, are already ready for combat use, reports the Zvezda TV channel. No one has ever carried out such a volume of work in such a short time in permafrost conditions and the Far North, the channel’s journalists emphasize. Thanks to this, Russia is gradually providing its northern borders with reliable protection from the air, sea and land.
According to information from the Russian Ministry of Defense, Spetsstroy of Russia is currently completing work on the reconstruction and construction of 10 airfields located in the Arctic zone, among them Severomorsk-1, an airfield on the island of Alexandra Land (Franz Josef Land archipelago), which in the future will be able to receive and heavy aircraft - Il-78, Tiksi (Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)), Rogachevo (Arkhangelsk region), Temp (Kotelny Island). Work is also underway to reconstruct the airfields of Severomorsk-3 (Murmansk region), Vorkuta (Komi Republic), Naryan-Mar (Arkhangelsk region), Alykel (Krasnoyarsk Territory) and Anadyr (Chukotka Autonomous Okrug).
The main military air bases are located at Cape Schmidt, Wrangel Island, Kotelny Island, the Franz Josef Land archipelago, as well as in the Murmansk region. These airfields will be able to provide takeoff and landing of heavy transport aircraft and MiG-31 fighter-interceptors, which are able to effectively destroy not only enemy aircraft, but also missiles of various classes, including ballistic ones. It is reported that the Arctic airfields will be all-season and will be able to receive different types Russian Air Force aircraft.
According to Air Force expert Alexander Drobyshevsky, it is very important for fighter aircraft to develop an airfield network on the ground in order to quickly fly out to intercept the enemy. Even during the Second World War, the practice of “jump airfields” was widely used, when field airfields could be located closer to the front line. In the Russian Arctic, with distances of many thousands, it is also important to be able to fly out to intercept the enemy from a closer point. For example, do not waste time taking off from Novosibirsk, but take to the skies directly from the waters of the Northern Arctic Ocean.
Such jump airfields in the Arctic are also very beneficial for strategic aviation. They were used for these purposes in the USSR; the Americans also had their own jump airfields in the Arctic in the 1970-90s. There is no point in strategic aviation being based in the North on a permanent basis, but if necessary, Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers can disperse to all military airfields, including suitable Arctic ones, which at least increases their combat survivability. At the same time, strategic aviation gets the opportunity to completely calmly carry out combat sorties to the United States with the possibility of returning back to northern airfields, fortunately the distances allow. The airfields being built in the Arctic will allow the Air Force not only to completely take control of the Arctic sky within Russian borders, but also to quickly solve any problems in this part of the continent.
Sources of information:
https://tvzvezda.ru/news/forces/content/201711050946-uwfj.htm
https://svpressa.ru/all/article/29527
https://iz.ru/news/666014
https://lenta.ru/articles/2016/04/20/arctic
Open source materials
Russia, as it became known at the end of October, continues to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic. Obviously, maximum control of this particular area of the planet is a priority task.
During times cold war The Arctic was of strategic interest to the great powers. Route via North Pole was the shortest route from the USA to Soviet Union, that is, ideal for strategic bombers and ballistic missiles. Later, the Arctic became interesting for submarines, which, under cover of ice, could approach the shore of a hypothetical enemy. Only the very inhospitable nature prevented the massive deployment of military bases here.
Today, the melting of a huge area arctic ice allow us to look into the near future with sober eyes. Thus, by 2050, the ice will become 30% thinner, and its volume will decrease by 15-40% during this time. Thanks to this, naval forces will be able to operate in the Arctic for a significant part of the year.
Such consequences will lead to the emergence of new routes connecting the Pacific and atlantic oceans. Climate change will allow these routes to be used for shipping year-round. As a result, the importance of the Suez and Panama Canals in the maritime transport system will be significantly reduced.
At present, such a rapid build-up of military power on the part of Russia is not a coincidence. A targeted set of measures is aimed at “responding” and “rigidly defending” (if necessary) their rights to this or that “piece of the Arctic pie.” This scenario is hard to believe. If only because today only the United States can compete with Russia in military superiority, and they have also significantly lost their superiority, throwing away money on the creation and support of other structures...
In addition, at a time when the states were intensively building aircraft carriers, Russia was building icebreakers and submarines.
Somehow, when I came across another commissioned article, I was surprised at how sophisticated/perversely the naval power of the United States and Russia was compared. And these miracle kids, reputed to be military experts, estimated the balance of power naturally in favor of the United States, and took as a basis one of the most irrefutable criteria - the number of aircraft carriers and destroyers on both sides. The United States has more than 10 aircraft carriers, while Russia has only 1.
Whereas there are only 3 icebreakers in the USA and two of them are in poor condition. And Russia, according to some sources, has from 27 to 41.
So, let's return to our sheep - to the “battle for the Arctic”. It is very naive to believe that the United States can in any way resist the military power and superiority of Russia. But let's assume a different scenario.
It is known that in addition to the USA and Russia, other states (Canada, Denmark, Norway), whose military power is significantly weaker than the two superpowers, have also indicated a significant part of their presence. In total, 5 countries have openly declared their intentions to “milk the natural resources of the Arctic.” Is it a lot or a little? And what will happen if these countries want to consolidate their military presence and try to clash with Russia? Simple, at the level of fantasy. First, let's look at the positions and presence on the mainland itself.
Source: AIF
Norway. A country that in 2105 passes a law obliging even women to serve, a country where the Minister of Defense is also a woman (Anne-Grethe Strøm-Eriksen), a country that sold Russia a key submarine base (Olafsvern) near the Russian border - No! Norway will never go against Russia. In addition, Norway’s budget for the modernization of military power until 2020 (not yet approved), equal to $20 billion, and Russia’s budget for the same year of $340 billion, which has already been approved - all this suggests that the country will not risk exposing its Scandinavian muscles against a real military monster, constantly fear-inducing near border sea areas. It is quite obvious that having staked out such a fat piece in the Arctic region, the country is unlikely to want to go against a strong and large neighbor. On the contrary - quieter than water, lower than the grass, otherwise Olafsvern...
Olavsvern underground military base By the way, the reaction is interesting local residents who aren't too concerned:
“We hope that the new owner will bring as many ships as possible to Olafsvern, which will benefit the local economy,” says Tromsø Mayor Jens Johan Hjort. Hjorth admits that this may seem strange, given that Olafsvern was a top-secret facility just a few years ago, "but on the other hand, it's good that the facility can be profitable."
Denmark. This small country has enough of its own territorial problems - they cannot come to an agreement with Great Britain, Ireland and Iceland, whose continental shelf is Rocople and the shelf of the Faroe Islands.
In September 2008, Russia adopted the “Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic for the period up to 2020 and beyond” and became the first Arctic state to develop its long-term strategy for the Arctic region. Other Arctic countries followed Russia's example. Denmark was one of the last in this chain, whose government, in consultation with the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, approved the “Strategy of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Arctic 2011–2020” in August 2011.
It should be noted that the main vector of the Danish Arctic strategy, the object of the declared steps, is Greenland, ensuring its economic growth, protecting the ecology of the island and adjacent waters, and promoting the socio-economic development of the indigenous population. This approach seems completely justified, since Greenland is Denmark’s “window” to the Arctic, a factor that allows the Kingdom to be classified as an Arctic state.
Danish Foreign Minister Christian Jensen has warned that the Arctic risks becoming the next stage for Russia's renewed assertiveness on the international stage, after Ukraine and Syria.
Nevertheless, Denmark does not have the means to confront Russia, even having united with other states, so to speak, with friends in misfortune. Some experts stated the opposite - about the intention of the Danish authorities to follow the path of peaceful cooperation with the Russians. I wonder what other way we can talk about - fish and you will be happy.
Regarding Canada— they have their own territorial problems with the United States, but not so large as to turn against each other.
The countries have been arguing about where in the Beaufort Sea the maritime border between Canada and the United States should lie for about 30 years. In 1985, Ottawa decided to give the Northwest Passage (including the Beaufort Sea) status inland waters, which Washington did not recognize. According to meteorologists, as global warming develops, the route around Greenland - through the Baffin and Beaufort seas - may become an alternative to the Pacific routes. But there is no doubt about the friendship of these two countries - sooner or later they will come to an agreement. Well, as usual - some will ask politely, others will humbly give...
Canada in general is one of those countries that historically does not have its own opinion and in every possible way agrees with its ambitious neighboring brothers. In addition, the Canadian-Danish territorial conflict has not been resolved.
Denmark and Canada dispute the ownership of Hansa Island (Turkupaluk), located in the ice of the Northwest Passage, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The island is a three-kilometer strip of uninhabited icy rocks. In itself, it has no value, but the state that manages to acquire ownership of it will also gain control over the strategically important Northwest Passage.
Previously, few people were interested in this ice-covered strait, but global warming will make it navigable in the summer months within a couple of decades. Thus, the Northwest Passage will shorten routes between continents by several days, and the state that receives ownership of this strait will be able to earn additional billions of dollars a year.
Russia and military presence in the Arctic
Russia is interested in the Arctic for many reasons. One of the main ones is material. The region is believed to contain 30% of the world's undiscovered gas reserves and 13% of its oil reserves (USGS estimate). These resources, among other things, could become a potential source of attracting investment into the Russian economy. The Northern Sea Route passing through the Arctic (a record 4 million tons of cargo was transported along it in 2014) also contains economic potential, including for the development of the northern regions of Russia.
The Arctic is important for another reason. It is located between the United States and Russia, which makes it strategically important in the event of a hypothetical confrontation (on the Russian side, Tu-95 strategic bombers patrol the region, and it was also decided to send Borei-class strategic missile carriers armed with Bulava missiles there).
In the coming years, the militarization of the Arctic will remain a priority for Russia - one of its elements will be the creation of a permanent Northern Fleet base on the New Siberian Islands. However, Moscow’s main tasks are expected to remain demonstrating its presence in the region and monitoring the actions of competitors.
Undoubtedly, Russia wants to dominate the Arctic, and for this it will need bases. It is already known that due to growing interest in the region on the part of NATO, old Soviet bases that had fallen into disrepair are being revived. The airfield on the archipelago has already been prepared New land, which is capable of receiving combat aircraft, and part of the Northern Fleet has already made the islands their base. That's not all. Russia is creating a network of Arctic bases in the Arctic, where it will permanently station submarines and surface ships.
As of the end of October, construction of the Arctic Trefoil complex, designed for 150 people, is being completed, which should become part of the base on the island of Alexandra Land (Franz Josef Land archipelago).
Construction of the Northern Clover base on Kotelny Island continues. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, it is planned to completely complete the creation of the Arctic group by 2018 - by this time several more bases will be deployed, and airfields located in the region will be reconstructed.
According to military expert Dmitry Litovkin:
“There will be no tanks, heavy artillery or armored fighting vehicles in the Arctic garrisons - they are of no use there, they are not adapted to move through deep snow, and there are no offensive missions for them. If necessary, paratroopers will fly to the rescue of the defenders” (landing of troops, including on Kotelny Island, has already been practiced in exercises).
Currently, Russia is creating 10 Arctic search stations, 16 ports, 13 airfields and 10 air defense stations in the Arctic. This year, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed order No. 822-r on the resumption of research in the region. The drifting stations, which were closed in 2013, will resume operation. 250 million rubles have been allocated from the federal budget for these purposes.
Russian bases in the Arctic (those under construction and existing are marked in red, those that can be expanded/improved are marked in orange)
Arctic Resources
Oil and gas fields in many regions of the world are in a phase of depletion. The Arctic, on the contrary, remains one of the few areas of the planet where energy companies have conducted almost no active production. This is due to harsh climatic conditions that made it difficult to extract resources.
Meanwhile, up to 25% of the world's hydrocarbon reserves are concentrated in the Arctic. According to the US Geological Survey, the region contains 90 billion barrels of oil, 47.3 trillion cubic meters. m of gas and 44 billion barrels of gas condensate. Control over these reserves will allow the Arctic states to ensure high growth rates of their national economies in the future.
The continental part of the Arctic contains rich reserves of gold, diamonds, mercury, tungsten and rare earth metals, without which technologies of the fifth and sixth technological order are impossible.
Clearly there is something to fight for. And the reasons for the militarization of the Arctic regions are completely justified... The main thing is that "means" allocated from the budget for such important strategic projects throughout the country, “did not sink like they once did Russian Empire off the coast of America”... However, we will talk about this story later...
The criteria for selecting investment projects for implementation in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, which will be co-financed from the federal budget, have been named. To participate, businesses must invest at least 250 million rubles.
Yuri Trutnev instructed the Far East and Arctic Development Fund to implement a project to help the Far Eastern regions to prevent and minimize the spread of coronavirus
On behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister - Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District, Yuri Trutnev, Development Fund Far East and the Arctic (FRDV) has begun implementing a project to assist the Far Eastern regions in preventing and minimizing
Russian government 1 day ago 0The Ministry of Eastern Development and the Federal Agency for Tourism are preparing measures to develop tourism in the Arctic
The Ministry of Eastern Development and the Federal Agency for Tourism discussed directions for the development of tourism in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Departments agree, together with the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, to determine priority areas of work
Rostourism 1 day ago 3Islands and capes in the Arctic were proposed to be named after veteran hydrographers of the Northern Fleet
It was proposed to name five capes on Novaya Zemlya the names of Lev Vladimirsky, Fyodor Afanasenkov, Boris Bulanov, Vasily Mamontov and Ivan Moroz, and three islands - the names of Vsevolod Bukhmeyrer, Valentin Kuznetsov and Igor Osokin
TASS 1 day ago 0Experts believe that rotational development of the Arctic is the most effective
According to the head of the representative office of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug in St. Petersburg, Alexander Palagin, the modernization of the existing infrastructure in the Arctic must be supported so that people feel comfortable staying there
TASS 2 days ago 1A strong quality of the current Russian government is attention to articles about its work. It seems his leadership is being checked to avoid making irreversible mistakes. Because an irreversible mistake is forever. When accumulated, they transform into outstanding performance
The urban environmental project The future belongs to the Arctic was carried out from 02/10/2020 to 03/18/2020 by the education committee of the Murmansk administration together with the MBU DO Pervomaisky DDT in accordance with the work plan of the education committee for
The share of Arctic oil in Gazprom Neft’s overall portfolio exceeded 30%, the company reported. At the Novoportovskoye field, the production of liquid hydrocarbons increased by 8% to 7.7 million tons. The volume of oil production at the East Messoyakhskoye field, which Gazprom
Finam.RU 3 days ago 2By order of the Commander-in-Chief Navy Nikolai Evmenov, for special services and enormous contribution to strengthening the technical power and combat readiness of the ships of the Northern Fleet, was awarded a departmental award of the Ministry of Defense to the director of the branch
Russian Platinum notified Norilsk Nickel of its decision to terminate negotiations on the creation of a joint venture Arctic Palladium and independently begin development of the Chernogorskoye deposit and the southern part of the Norilsk-1 deposit. The reason for the decision is the lack of
Finam.RU 5 days ago 1Norilsk Nickel has received notification from Russian Platinum LLC of the decision to terminate negotiations on the creation of the Arctic Palladium joint venture, Norilsk Nickel reported. Russian Platinum will independently implement a project to develop the Chernog deposits
Finam.RU 7 days ago 0Experts: the lack of a unified register of objects hinders the attraction of construction teams to the Arctic
Also, according to experts, it is necessary to provide for financing the costs of transporting students to construction sites and provide them with guarantees of further employment
TASS 7 days ago 0Group of Karelsky scientists scientific center RAS failed preliminary results the first stage of studying children's sleep in the northern territories. It turned out that the indigenous population has a number of genes that allow them to more easily adapt to changes in the duration of light
In the Murmansk region, in accordance with the decision of the Interdepartmental Operational Headquarters on the issue of epidemiological safety of the population of the region under the leadership of the Governor of the Murmansk region, a ban on events with
According to Interfax, yesterday, March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on tax incentives for oil and gas projects in the Arctic. For offshore production, the mineral extraction tax rate is set at 5% for oil and 1% for gas for the next 15 years of production
Finam.RU 9 days ago 2New preferences should stimulate hydrocarbon production on the shelf and in the Arctic, the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the development of gas chemistry, as well as the development of new oil and gas provinces
Russia is recognized as the most powerful player in the Arctic
The Russian Federation is considered the most powerful player in the Arctic region. Despite all the attempts of the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, it is the Russian military polar explorers who are the main specialist “colonizers” in high latitudes. https://novoro
News agency Novorossiya 10 days ago 1The Ministry of Eastern Development expects that mineral extraction tax benefits for the Arctic will be approved within a week
According to the documents, an entrepreneur registered in the Arctic who is ready to implement a new project and invest at least 10 million rubles will be able to obtain resident status, which includes benefits
TASS 10 days ago 2 Yuri Trutnev: “The package of bills provides that the effect of preferences will extend to the entire territory of the Arctic zone. Any new project with an investment of at least 10 million rubles will be able to receive support.”December 30, 2019, Arctic activities The infrastructure development plan for the Northern Sea Route until 2035 has been approved Order No. 3120-r dated December 21, 2019. Decisions made are aimed at creating infrastructure conditions for the further development of the Northern Sea Route and coastal areas.
December 18, 2019, Arctic activities On the agenda: creating a system of preferences for new projects implemented in the Arctic zone of Russia; Northern Sea Route infrastructure development plan; preparations for Russia's chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023.
September 3, 2019, Natural resource management. Subsoil use On the decisions following a meeting with Dmitry Kozak and Yuri Trutnev on granting the right to use subsoil containing hydrocarbon reserves located on the continental shelf of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation
April 29, 2019 On the investment project for the construction of a marine transshipment complex for liquefied natural gas in the Murmansk region Order No. 834-r dated April 26, 2019. The implementation plan for the investment project “Offshore transshipment complex of liquefied natural gas in the Murmansk region” was approved. The investment project includes the construction of two floating gas storage facilities, an auxiliary berth and the necessary onshore infrastructure. The preliminary estimate of the cost of implementing the investment project is 70 billion rubles. The implementation period is 2023.
April 25, 2019, Arctic activities Anton Siluanov took part in the “One Belt, One Road” forum in Beijing The First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Finance spoke at a panel session within the forum.
April 10, 2019, Arctic activities Yuri Trutnev chaired a meeting of the Presidium of the State Commission for Arctic Development The meeting took place in St. Petersburg on the sidelines of the International Arctic Forum.
April 10, 2019, Arctic activities Maxim Akimov committed work trip to St. Petersburg On April 9, the Deputy Prime Minister took part in the session “The Northern Sea Route – the key to the development of the Russian Arctic” as part of the International Arctic Forum and visited the head office of Sovcomflot.
April 9, 2019, Arctic activities Yuri Trutnev inspected the exhibition of the International Arctic Forum The V International Arctic Forum takes place on April 9–10 in St. Petersburg.
April 1, 2019, Inland water transport and maritime activities About the expansion of the Sabetta seaport Order of March 28, 2019 No. 554-r. A decision was made aimed at implementing a new investment project for the construction of an LNG transshipment terminal in the seaport of Sabetta. The terminal is needed for the development of the Salmanovskoye (Utrenneye) oil and gas condensate field on the Gydan Peninsula.
March 20, 2019, Arctic activities Yuri Trutnev gave the start scientific expedition"Transarctic-2019" The expeditionary activities of the Transarctic 2019 program are divided into 4 stages and will end at the end of September 2019 in the port of Vladivostok. The first stage of the expedition will take place from March 20 to the end of May. On the basis of the scientific expedition vessel “Akademik Treshnikov” of the AARI Roshydromet, a seasonal drifting research station “North Pole-2019” will be organized.
March 20, 2019, Gas production, transportation, export. LNG industry. Gasification On the investment project for the construction of a marine transshipment complex for liquefied natural gas in the Kamchatka Territory Order of March 14, 2019 No. 436-r. A comprehensive plan for the implementation of the investment project “Offshore transshipment complex of liquefied natural gas in the Kamchatka Territory” was approved. The implementation of the project will allow increasing the volume of transportation along the Northern Sea Route from 9.7 million tons in 2017 to 31.4 million tons by the end of 2026, ensuring the transition of the Northern Sea Route to year-round loading, creating the largest regional LNG hub in the region, attracting about 70 billion rubles of private investment, create new jobs.
About allocations for scientific research "Transarctic-2019" Order No. 276-r dated February 23, 2019. 868.75 million rubles are allocated from the Government reserve fund for organizing and conducting comprehensive scientific research and state monitoring of condition and pollution environment Arctic using four research and scientific expedition vessels of Roshydromet. Transarctic 2019 research is carried out in the context of restoring comprehensive scientific research in the Arctic region, including the high-latitude Arctic. The purpose of the research is to improve the system of hydrometeorological safety of Russian maritime activities in the Arctic to realize the scientific and practical interests of the state.January 29, 2019, Tuesday Order No. 22-r dated January 17, 2019. Based on the results of the auction, the right to use the Yuzhno-Ob subsoil plot of federal significance, located in the waters of the Ob Bay of the Kara Sea, for geological study, exploration and production of hydrocarbons under a combined license was granted to Gazprom Neft Shelf LLC.
1Russia puts the development of Arctic latitudes among its priorities. This region is primarily interesting from the point of view of its commercial use. After all, the Arctic subsoil and the Northern Sea Route can bring considerable dividends to our country in the future.
Inexhaustible depths
In 2009, Science magazine published material on research into the potential subsoil reserves of the Arctic macroregion. According to published data, the Arctic ice hides over 10 billion tons of oil and about 1,550 trillion. cubic meters of natural gas. But if oil deposits are mainly concentrated off the coast of Alaska, then almost all Arctic gas reserves belong to Russia.
According to the US Geological Survey, the Russian Arctic zone as a whole is the richest. The Americans call the Kara Sea region particularly promising in this regard, where, according to their assumption, a quarter of all undiscovered reserves of the planet lie.
In addition to hydrocarbons, the Russian Arctic subsoil is generous with rare earth metals, agrochemical ores, and there are large reserves of gold, diamonds, tungsten, mercury and optical raw materials. The official representative of Rosgeologia, Anton Sergeev, emphasizes that the exploration of the Arctic region is extremely uneven and dozens of new deposits may be discovered here in the near future.
Recently, the British publication Daily Star tried to calculate the predicted mineral reserves of the Russian Arctic. Experts from Foggy Albion believe this figure could reach $22 trillion. dollars. Russian economists put the figure at $30 trillion. At the same time, the value of proven reserves is estimated at $2 trillion.
Northern Sea Route
In the context of global melting of Arctic ice Russian authorities are banking on the development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), which could become a significant source of budget revenue. Already, development of a financial and economic model of transport lines connecting Russian ports with the cities of Northern Europe and Southeast Asia is underway.
Initially, it is planned to involve Russian cargo in transportation, which is currently transported along the Trans-Siberian Railway, and then to involve international companies in the project. According to experts, with 75% loading of container ships, the annual volume of transportation along the NSR in the near future could reach up to 380 thousand TEU (1TEU corresponds to a container with dimensions of 6.1 X 2.4 m.)
True, according to the developers of the financial and economic model, it will be possible to talk about profitability no earlier than 2028, when bank financing returns. The annual profit in this case should be at least 7.5 billion rubles. By 2035, according to experts, the capitalization of NSR feeder lines from government investments alone will amount to about 55 billion rubles.
But will NSR be of interest to foreign companies? Obviously yes. In September of this year, a container ship of the Danish company Maersk Line with a capacity of 3.6 thousand TEU for the first time in history changed its traditional route through the Suez Canal and passed along the Northern Sea Route. The Maersk press service stated that this was done to study the potential for container shipping in northern waters.
It became known that the Danish ship spent 26 days on the entire journey instead of the standard 34. This was predictable, since the northern route is 7 thousand nautical miles shorter than the southern route. And although Maersk assures that they do not currently consider the NSR as a commercial alternative to existing logistics schemes, domestic experts have no doubt that the Danes have already appreciated the economic benefits of the new project.
Profit is a costly thing
Before making a profit from the use of the Northern Sea Route and the development of deposits in the Arctic, the state must incur significant costs. The head of the department at IMEMO RAS, Andrei Zagorsky, notes that by 2025 it was planned to invest about 260 billion rubles for specific Arctic projects, but due to budgetary difficulties, this amount will be significantly reduced.
It should also be taken into account that logistics in the Arctic will cost 3-4 times more than on the continent. The climatic and geographical features of the region place special demands on the infrastructure being built there. Thus, according to experts, due to the impact of sea storms, port facilities will have to be moved further from the coast, which will significantly increase capital investment.
In addition, in conditions of unstable ice cover and increasing risks of iceberg formation, there is a need to build new nuclear icebreakers, without which year-round navigation is impossible. And such construction is already in full swing.
The lead nuclear icebreaker “Arktika” has already been launched, the cost of which is estimated at $625 million. By 2020, two more serial nuclear-powered ships worth $709 million and $743 million should leave the shipyards. The total cost of the icebreaker project will cost the treasury more than $2 billion.
Also at the design stage is the nuclear-powered icebreaker Leader, which will ensure uninterrupted year-round navigation along the NSR. The estimated costs for it will be about $1.2 billion; however, the return is expected to be good. Such an icebreaker can increase the speed of passage of ice-class tankers along the NSR by 5 times.
Yuri Gudoshnikov, a leading employee of the Arctic Shelf laboratory of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, is convinced that the Russian Arctic project is “long-term money.” In his opinion, to launch a field it takes at least 8 years and prices for hydrocarbons are many times higher than now. But the Ministry of Economic Development calls not to stop, but to accelerate the process of development of the Arctic, including by attracting foreign partners.
