arctic

Report: Switching to clean fuel in Arctic costs a glass of wine

It would cost passengers just the price of a glass of wine a day if cruise ships would stop burning highly polluting heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the fragile Arctic environment, according to a new report from green transport group Transport & Environment. The report resulted from analysis of the impact on the cruise ship ‘MS Rotterdam’ had it switched to marine gas oil (MGO), during three summer trips to the Arctic in 2018.

This study finds that the likely cost impact of Arctic HFO ban will be small...

https://safety4sea.com/report-switching-to-clean-fuel-in-arctic-costs-a-glass-of-wine/

Norway to boost funds for mapping petroleum resources in Barents Sea

The Norwegian government issued a proposal to increase funding to geological surveying with NOK 50 million, to boost knowledge through mapping of the petroleum resources in the Northern parts of the Barents Sea.

Knowledge is crucial both for good resource management and to safeguard national economic interests. Therefore, it is important to continue the mapping of the petroleum resources in the Barents Sea in general, and in areas with possible border crossing resources in particular,

…says...

https://safety4sea.com/norway-to-boost-funds-for-mapping-petroleum-resources-in-barents-sea/

Global agreement signed to prevent unregulated fishing in Central Arctic

Greenland’s Minister for Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture, Erik Jensen, hosted a Signature Ceremony for an international fisheries agreement to prevent unregulated high seas fishing in the Central Arctic Ocean.

The ceremony was held at Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat and participants included ministers, ambassadors, and government officials from the 10 Parties to the ‘Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean’.

Recently, the melting of Arctic sea ice has left...

https://safety4sea.com/global-agreement-signed-to-prevent-unregulated-fishing-in-central-arctic/

Maersk containership completes Arctic passage

The containership Venta Maersk completed a transit through the Bering Strait and off Siberia westward to St. Petersburg, Russia. Maersk photo.

A newly built Maersk Line containership completed a trial passage of the Northern Sea Route off Siberia and Russia, in what Maersk officials called a “one-off” to gain operational experience and test the ice-capable feeder ship.

It was the latest voyage in the high north, where climate changes make through passages more feasible and nations are eyeing new maritime and commercial opportunities. But Maersk cautioned it has no plans for new services in what is still a challenging and expensive...

https://www.workboat.com/news/bluewater/maersk-containership-completes-arctic-passage/

Venta Maersk calls at St. Petersburg concluding passage of Northern Sea Route

On Friday, 28 September 2018, Venta Maersk called the port of Saint Petersburg, Russia, after successfully completing a trial passage of the Northern Sea Route. Venta Maersk started her voyage on 22 August 2018 in the port of Vladivostok, Russia. The ship stopped in Vostochny Stevedoring Company and Busan, before passing through Bering Strait on 6 September 2018 on her way to Bremerhaven.

According to Maersk, the voyage went as planned and without specific incidents, as the vessel and all...

https://safety4sea.com/venta-maersk-calls-at-st-petersburg-concluding-passage-of-northern-sea-route/

Finnish ice class rules review requirements for ships reaching age 20

The Finnish Transport Safety Agency (TRAFI) requires vessels whose keel was laid before 1 September 2003 to comply with the minimum power requirement of the current Finnish ice class rules when they reach the age of 20, according to a regulatory update by DNV GL.

The vessel can only keep its current Baltic ice class when the installed engine power complies with the minimum requirement. This engine power requirement is higher than the one which the vessel had originally been designed with.

However,...

https://safety4sea.com/finnish-ice-class-rules-review-requirements-for-ships-reaching-age-20/

How climate change can affect Europe

The impact of climate change is already impacting the ecosystems, economic sectors and people’s health and well-being in Europe. In order to present how climate change can affect Europe, the European Parliament created an infographic depicting the impacts of climate change in each region of the continent.

According to the infographic all regions are affected, but not in the same way. The effects have been mostly negative, such as in the Mediterranean where more heat extremes and less rain are...

https://safety4sea.com/how-climate-change-can-affect-europe/

Artic: New routes open but challenges ahead 

We recently heard that the first commercial ship traveled the Northern Sea Route in winter without the assistance of an ice breaker. Indeed, “thanks” to the climate change, new trade routes open in some areas, however, at the same time the risk of ice in others is getting larger and larger.

Specifically, and according to the NASA Earth Observatory, the mean center of shipping activity moved 300km north and east over a seven-year span. As a result, a growing number of vessels are sailing in...

https://safety4sea.com/cm-artic-new-routes-open-but-challenges-ahead/

NASA, ULA launch satellite to track Earth’s changing ice

NASA’s Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) successfully launched from California earlier in September, embarking on its mission to measure the ice of Earth’s frozen reaches ‘with unprecedented accuracy’. With this mission, NASA seeks to explore remote polar regions in a bid to understand ice changes on Earth.

On 15 September, ICESat-2 lifted off from Space Launch Complex-2 at Vandenberg Air Force Base on United Launch Alliance’s final Delta II rocket. Ground stations in...

https://safety4sea.com/nasa-ula-launch-satellite-to-track-earths-changing-ice/

NOAA: August 2018 the 5th hottest on record for the globe

The average global temperature in August was 1.33 degrees F above the 20th-century average of 60.1 degrees and this was the fifth highest global temperature for August in the 139-year record (1880–2018), according to data provided by the US NOAA. Last month was also the 42nd consecutive August and the 404th consecutive month with temperatures above average.

January through August

The year-to-date average global temperature was 1.37 degrees F above average of 57.3 degrees. This is the fourth...

https://safety4sea.com/noaa-august-2018-the-5th-hottest-on-record-for-the-globe/

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