High North News - News, analysis and debate about politics and business in the North

PSC USCG new icebreaker

U.S. Coast Guard Starts Construction of First New Heavy Icebreaker in 50 Years

A decade in the making the U.S. Coast Guard is set to finally begin work on its first heavy icebreaker in 50 years. Construction is expected to take a minimum of five years, though additional delays could push delivery in the 2030s.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

Making Money in the North Was Possible After All

Comment: It is said to be impossible to both earn money and build a solid business sector in the High North. This gloomy message is shared by both tax refugees in Switzerland and retired politicians. However, statistics in the Economist tell a different story.

2024 Top 10

The Flow of Russian Gas On Top for 2024

Dear reader. You have spoken, and the message is clear: Our Russian gas and shipping coverage is of most interest, interspersed with security policy and a Swedish disaster film. Here is the top 10 list for 2024.

Notices

BUSINESS / 20.12.2024

Luleå Industrial park: "Crucial For the Future of Critical Minerals"

The Swedish mining company LKAB have submited its application for an…

POLITICS / 20.12.2024

Will Spend 900 Billion on US Defense Next Year

The Senate of the US Congress has decided that just under 900 billion…

Politics / 20.12.2024

Allied Chiefs of Defence Meeting With Partners in January 2025

NATO’s highest Military Authority, the Military Committee, will meet in…

Business / 17.12.2024

Mining company LKAB in Northern Sweden to build office in Kiruna's new city centre

The Swedish mining company LKAB, which operates iron ore mines in Northern…

Ursa Major

Sinking of Russian Ship in the Mediterranean Could Delay Leader-class Nuclear Icebreaker ‘Rossiya’

The loss of two reactor hatch covers for the Rossiya nuclear icebreaker in a cargo vessel sinking in the Mediterranean spells unwelcome news for Russia. The cargo ship Ursa Major was traveling from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok when it experienced an engine room explosion and subsequently sank.

Charting a Greener Course: The Northeast Passage and Shipping’s Future

Op-ed: Global shipping faces unprecedented challenges as reliance on established trade routes like the Suez Canal exposes vulnerabilities in current trade networks. The need for exploring alternative routes is urgent, writes researchers from Nord University in this op-ed on the North East Passage.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

I Was Going to Write About Hope, but the Danes Threw a Spanner in My Keyboard

Comment: I was going to write something peaceful heading into a new Arctic year. Some hopeful observations despite the brutality that surrounds us. But then the Danish Security and Intelligence Service fired some early New Year fireworks into my keyboard.

High North News investigates: The Russian Gas Flow

putin at belokamenka

Exclusive: Senior Novatek Official Traveled to Washington DC For Discussions on Arctic LNG Sanctions

Could the upcoming Trump U.S. administration offer an opportunity to reverse or…

Also see

Germany Rejects Vessel Carrying Russian Arctic LNG, But Continues Indirect Imports Via EU Neighbors

European Commission’s Von Der Leyen Suggests EU Could Replace Russian LNG with U.S. Supply

Trump Presidency Could be Good News for Russia’s Arctic LNG Projects, Though Exact Policy Shift Hard to Predict

Arctic LNG 2 Facing Vessel Shortage as Zvezda Shipyard Delays Delivery, Japanese MOL Exits Charter Contract

Russian Arctic LNG Carrier Out of Commission Following Maintenance Struggles, Underscores Key Role of EU Yards

Russia’s fleet of ice-capable LNG carriers keeps the gas flowing to Europe. But now…

Jian Yang Cheng Xiang heavy lift carrier

Cargo Shipment from Belgium to Russia Highlights Continued Flow of LNG Technology from EU

A cargo delivery from Antwerp to Yamal LNG plant raises questions about the…

zvezda scf vessel arc7

Russian Sovcomflot to Operate Sanctioned Zvezda Arc7 LNG Carrier for Arctic LNG 2

Despite mounting Western sanctions Russia’s largest shipping company Sovcomflot…

Norges største satellittprogram, Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission, er nå i operativ drift hos Forsvaret. Her markeres begivenheten ved Eggemoen satellittstasjon i Sør-Norge av Cyberforsvarets sjef, brigader Halvor Johansen, forsvarsminister Bjørn Arild Gram og Space Norways nestleder Dag Stølan. (Foto: Anette Ask/Forsvaret)

The Norwegian Armed Forces With Full Broadband Coverage in the Arctic

Norway’s Arctic broadband satellites are now operational and put into use by the Norwegian Armed Forces. "This enables us to exercise effective command and control in all types of operations up to the North Pole," says the Chief of the Norwegian Cyber Defense.

LKABs malmtog i Narvik

Status Report on the Iron Ore Line Derailment: Could Have Been Caused by Defective Wheel

According to a preliminary status report from the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority, a damaged wheel could have contributed to the train derailment on the Iron Ore Line a year ago. The fully loaded train was heading from the northern Swedish city of Kiruna to Narvik when several cars derailed near the Norwegian border.

Nikolaj Korchunov, Russlands nye ambassadør til Norge og tidligere ambassadør til Arktis. (Foto: Det russiske utenriksministeriet)

Russia's Ambassador to Norway: Warns of Political Vacuum in the Arctic Region

A lack of political dialogue and alienation between the Western Arctic states and Russia creates a vacuum in the region that others will seek to fill, states Nikolay Korchunov, Russia's long-time top Arctic diplomat and now new ambassador to Norway.

EU flag

EU Importers Preparing to Implement March 2025 Transshipment Ban for Russian LNG

With the EU’s sanctions on the transfer of Russian LNG just three months away operators in France and Belgium are putting in place procedures to now longer conduct transshipments. The upcoming ban affects around 20 percent of Russian LNG from the Arctic.

Norge Mineraler

Australian Owner Sells Graphite Producer in Northern Norway

Through its Norway-based subsidiary, the UK-registered Norge Mining has entered into an agreement to acquire Skaland Graphite.

Den finske statsministeren Petteri Orpo (i midten) har invitert EU-ledere til Nord-Finland for drøfting av sikkerhetsspørsmål: (f.v.) Sveriges statsminister Ulf Kristersson, EUs høyrepresentant for utenriks- og sikkerhetspolitikk Kaja Kallas, Italias statsminister Giorgia Meloni og Hellas’ statsminister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. (Fotokollasj: Finlands regjering)

Finland to Organize EU Leaders Summit in Lapland

“Europe has to take greater responsibility for its own security," says Finland's PM Petteri Orpo. This weekend, he will host minister colleagues from EU countries and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in Northern Finland, near the border with Russia.

putin at belokamenka

Exclusive: Senior Novatek Official Traveled to Washington DC For Discussions on Arctic LNG Sanctions

Could the upcoming Trump U.S. administration offer an opportunity to reverse or lighten sanctions targeting the Russian LNG sector? Novatek appears to think so, dispatching a senior executive to Washington DC to pursue the matter.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

When Green Initiatives Kick the Legs Out From Under Local Businesses

Comment: The bankrupt estates of a couple of the largest and most unsuccessful green industrial ventures in the north are barely enough for a leftover dinner. The accounts of local suppliers are already dripping with blood.

Canadas utenriksminister Mélanie Joly presenterer en ny arktisk strategi med fire hovedsøyler: suverenitetshevdelse, pragmatisk diplomati, lederskap innenfor arktisk samstyring og inkluderende diplomati. (Foto: Mathieu Girard/Global Affairs Canada)

Strong Security Focus in Canada's New Arctic Foreign Policy

"The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region," says Canada's minister of foreign affairs. Ottawa is now initiating an Arctic security dialogue, strengthening the security perspective at a regional level, and opening new consulates in Anchorage and Nuuk.

Fra Bodø flystasjon

Possible Future Military Role for Bodø's New Airport

The Norwegian Ministry of Defense has decided to acquire options in Avinor's construction project so that the new airport in Bodø, Northern Norway, could potentially have a future military role.

Illustrasjon av SSABs nye stålverk i Luleå, Nord-Sverige

Steel Producer Receives Billion Grant for Green Transformation in Northern Sweden

The Swedish steel producer SSAB has been granted SEK 1.45 billion for the green transformation of its Luleå operations. The steel plant in the Northern Swedish city currently accounts for Sweden's largest carbon emission.

Why Smart City Dreams May Not Survive The Arctic

Op-ed: When Arctic cities try to get smart, they discover that southern solutions don't work in northern conditions.