Arctic

Rutter Inc., a leading provider of advanced radar solutions, is proud to announce a collaboration with Wärtsilä, a global leader in smart technologies, and Seaspan Shipyards, a leading shipbuilder, to deliver the cutting-edge sigma S6 Oil Spill Detection and Ice Navigator™ systems for a new icebreaker being built in British Columbia, Canada, as part of the Canadian Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Program.

The collaboration between Rutter Inc., Wärtsilä, and Seaspan underscores a shared commitment to innovation, safety, and environmental protection in polar regions. By combining Rutter Inc.’s expertise in radar-based technologies, Wärtsilä’s marine technology, and Seaspan’s vessel construction expertise, the companies aim to provide comprehensive solutions tailored to the unique challenges of the high Arctic environment.

Rutter’s sigma S6 Oil Spill Detection System leverages cutting-edge sensor technology and real-time data analysis, empowering operators to swiftly identify and address potential oil spill incidents, safeguarding sensitive ecosystems and wildlife habitats.

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U.S. Global Investors CEO and Chief Investment Officer Frank Holmes recently had the chance to interview Jonathan Roth, founder of ResourceWars.com and a veteran of capital markets, who highlighted an increasingly urgent issue: the Arctic.

As polar ice caps melt, new opportunities—and risks—are emerging in this increasingly contested region that we believe investors should be aware of. Nations like the U.S., Russia and China are jockeying for influence, not only to access the Arctic’s vast natural resources but also to secure strategic military and trading advantages.

Greenland, in particular, is shaping up to be a geopolitical hotspot, and it’s no wonder that President Donald Trump has repeated his interest in acquiring the island.

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If shipping boss Niels Clemensen were to offer any advice to Donald Trump or anyone else trying to get a foothold in Greenland, it would be this: “Come up here and see what you are actually dealing with.”

Sitting on the top floor of his beamed office in Nuuk harbour, where snow is being flung around by strong winds in the mid-morning darkness outside and shards of ice pass by in the fast-flowing water, the chief executive of Greenland’s only shipping company, Royal Arctic Line, says: “What you normally see as easy [setting up operations] in the US or Europe is not the same up here.” As well as the cold, ice and extremely rough seas, the world’s biggest island does not have a big road network or trains, meaning everything has to be transported either by sea or air. “I’m not saying that it’s not possible. But it’s going to cost a lot of money.”

With the potential to slash shipping times between Europe and Asia by thousands of miles – or as much as two weeks – the opening up of the Northwest Passage as the Arctic ice melts is viewed by some as an upside of the climate crisis and one of the main reasons Trump has taken such an interest in Greenland...

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In a speech last week in North Carolina, President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. would soon be ordering 40 big icebreakers for the Coast Guard, and that Canada wants in on the deal. 

Asked about U.S. trade relations with Britain, Trump gave his thoughts on why Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. The U.S. is losing too much money to Canada on trade deficits, he said, and joining the U.S. would mean lower taxes (and no U.S. tariffs) for Canadians.

"Why are we paying all of that money to Canada when, you know, we — we could use it ourselves, right? You know, we ordered — we’re going to order about 40 Coast Guard big icebreakers. Big ones. And all of a sudden, Canada wants a piece of the deal. I say, 'Why are we doing that?'" Trump said. "I mean, I like doing that if they’re a state, but I don’t like doing that if they’re a nation. . . . I would love to see Canada be the 51st state."

The U.S. Coast Guard currently has funds from Congress for a planned three-vessel order for the Polar Security Cutter program, built by Bollinger. The first was approved in late December after years of delay, and the program faces cost overruns. The service's last icebreaker study suggested a need for at least three more medium icebreakers in addition to the current program of record, and its regional icebreaker fleet for the Great Lakes is also advancing in age. 

At present, the service's seagoing fleet has one heavy icebreaker and one medium icebreaker - both aging - and one "bridging strategy" icebreaker, a commercial conversion that will fill gaps until delivery of the first Polar Security Cutter. 

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MILAN — An agreement between Finland, Canada, and the United States to jointly build icebreaker ships may hold the key to deeper cooperation between the Arctic nations, as Washington has set out to boost its fleet against Russian and Chinese efforts to ramp up their own.

The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, was signed in July 2024 on the occasion of NATO’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington. It aims to combine the three nations’ knowledge, resources, and expertise about the Arctic region in general and polar icebreaker construction in particular.

The core ambition of the agreement is to collectively build best-in-class ice boats capable of year-round operations in Arctic waters, plowing pathways for maritime traffic in a region being transformed by climate change. Teaming up in a cluster of countries, the idea goes, will lead to better prices and speedier deliveries for the governments involved.

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COPENHAGEN - Denmark said on Monday it would spend 14.6 billion Danish crowns (US$2.05 billion) boosting its military presence in the Arctic, following renewed interest by U.S. President Donald Trump in controlling Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.

This month, Trump said Greenland is vital to U.S. security and Denmark must give up control of the strategically important Arctic island.

Following more than a decade of drastic cuts in defence spending, last year Denmark allocated 190 billion Danish crowns (US$26 billion) for its military over a 10-year span, part of which has now been allocated to the Arctic.

Denmark, while responsible for Greenland’s security and defence, has limited military capabilities on the vast island, widely regarded as a security black hole.

At present, Denmark’s capacities include four aging inspection vessels, a Challenger surveillance plane and 12 dog sled patrols, all tasked with monitoring an area four times the size of France.

The deal includes funding three new Arctic navy vessels doubling the number of planned long-range surveillance drones to four, as well as satellite surveillance, Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said at a press conference.

The political parties agreed to set aside more money for the Arctic in a deal that will be presented in the first half of the year.

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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen agreed at a meeting on Tuesday that allies need to focus on strengthening defences in the Arctic, a source familiar to the talks told Reuters.

”They agreed that in this effort all allies have a role to play,” the source said after the meeting.

U.s. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, a part of the U.S. since his reelection in November. He hasn’t ruled out using military or economic power to persuade Denmark to hand it over.

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• Denmark will invest 14.6 billion Danish crowns to enhance its military presence in the Arctic, following renewed interest from U.S. President Donald Trump in Greenland.
• The defense plan includes funding for three new Arctic navy vessels and additional surveillance drones, as stated by Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
• Greenland's Independence and Foreign Affairs Minister welcomed the increased defense spending, calling it a critical first step toward bolstering security in and around the island.
• Denmark aims to modernize its Arctic resources to address security challenges from Russia and China, while reinforcing its sovereignty in the region.

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This season, seven icebreakers were deployed to support community resupply and deliver key services such as icebreaking, search and rescue, maintaining aids to navigation, responding to marine pollution incidents and hazards, and supporting scientific research. The CCGS Amundsen was the first vessel deployed for the season on June 14, 2024, from Quebec City, QC, and the CCGS Des Groseilliers was the last vessel to return from the Arctic on December 8, 2024.

In Rankin Inlet, NU, the Arctic Marine Response Station was open from June 21 to October 22, 2024, and responded to eight search and rescue incidents. Aside from this essential service, the all-Indigenous team also performed four training exercises and patrolled over 737 nautical miles around the areas of Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet, and Whale Cove, NU.

In August, the Canadian Coast Guard welcomed the United States Coast Guard's (USCG) District 17 Rear Admiral Megan Dean aboard the CCGS Pierre Radisson in Resolute Bay, NU, and the CCGS Amundsen in Frobisher Bay, NU. From August 24 to 26, 2024, the Canadian Coast Guard joined the United States Navy, USCG, and the Royal Danish Navy for Operation NANOOK 2024, which is a yearly maritime exercise led by the Canadian Armed Forces to enhance surveillance and collective responsiveness in the Arctic. These continued partnerships play an important role in keeping northern waters safe and reinforces Canada's long-standing sovereignty in the North.

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For many years, Canada has aimed to manage the Arctic and northern regions cooperatively with other states as a zone of low tension that is free from military competition.

This approach had significant benefits, uniting the Arctic nations to advance cooperation on issues of common interest, such as sustainable development, environmental protection and scientific collaboration, including through the establishment of the Arctic Council in Ottawa in 1996.

However, the guardrails that we have depended on to prevent and resolve conflict have weakened. Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine has made cooperation with it on Arctic issues exceedingly difficult for the foreseeable future. Uncertainty and unpredictability are creating economic consequences that Canadians are facing everyday.

Threats to Canada’s security are no longer bound by geography; climate change is accelerating rapidly; and non-Arctic states, including China, are also seeking greater influence in the governance of the Arctic. To respond, Canada must be strong in the North American Arctic, and it requires deeper collaboration with its greatest ally, the United States. Canada must also maintain strong ties with its 5 Nordic allies, which are now also all NATO members.

The evolving security and political dynamics in the Arctic have triggered a need for a recalibrated diplomatic approach to advancing Canada’s national interests in the region, based on the principles of pragmatic diplomacy.

The Arctic Foreign Policy, a diplomatic strategy, addresses the challenges and opportunities Canada faces today, as well as those it expects to face in the coming decades. It gives Canada the diplomatic tools it needs to continue to assert its sovereignty, advance its national security interests and promote a stable, prosperous and secure Arctic.

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MAN Energy Solutions will deliver the engines, shafts and propellers for the AOPS’ integrated diesel-electric propulsion systems, as well as complete integrated logistics services (ILS) documentation. 

Each vessel will feature 4 × MAN 6L32/44CR engines, with each engine delivering 3,600 KW and utilizing common-rail (CR) electronic injection, high-efficiency turbochargers, electronic hardware and variable valve timing.

The company will also provide a selective catalytic reduction system with each engine. In combination with the SCR system, the common-rail injection system is expected to optimized each engine’s fuel consumption and emissions, resulting in IMO Tier III compliancy without sacrificing engine efficiency. This ultimately could reduce each ship’s carbon footprint to a minimum, a crucial factor when considering the fragile Arctic environment for which the ships are destined. 

Finally, MAN Energy Solutions will deliver 2 × MAN Alpha-branded five-bladed, bolted propellers that meet PC5 rules and which can even be exchanged underwater. These cater for higher cavitation inception speeds, possible shock impacts, and mission-critical conditions requiring additional redundancy, silent operation with minimal hydro-acoustic signatures, and suppressed underwater-radiated noise, the company highlighted.

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Halifax – Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, was  today at Irving Shipbuilding Inc. in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to celebrate significant construction milestones for the Canadian Coast Guard’s two new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships and to announce their selected names.

A keel laying ceremony was held for the first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the CCGS Donjek Glacier. The keel laying marks the moment when the first constructed module, or block, is placed in position and the ship begins to take form. Additionally, a ceremony to signify the start of construction was held for the second Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the CCGS Sermilik Glacier.

The Canadian Coast Guard’s new versatile and ice-capable ships will support fisheries enforcement and surveillance missions on Canada’s east coast, including Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization patrols. They will also support offshore search and rescue and icebreaking operations in Arctic and southern waters, strengthening Canada’s presence in the Arctic.

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Ocean going vessels are considered a significant contributor to climate change pollution. Starting July 1, some ships in Arctic waters will no longer be allowed to burn or carry heavy fuel oils (HFO), which are the dirtiest fuels on the planet.

However, HFO use and carriage will not be completely banned in the Arctic after 1 July 2024, according to the Clean Arctic Alliance.

A regulation will allow a significant number of ships to continue burning HFO until 1 July 2029 through two separate mechanisms. One regulation includes an exemption for ships that comply with specific fuel tank design requirements. These fuel tank design provisions  essentially require that the fuel tank be separated from the outer shell of the ship by a particular distance.

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This chapter seeks to outline the three functions required to ensure safe shipping in Canada’s Arctic; namely, safety, security and defence. Departments and their personnel ensure safe shipping via information, education and aids to navigation (safety function), enforcement of shipping laws (the constabulary or security function) and providing credible deterrence and defence against threats (the defence mandate). Thus, when it comes to safe shipping in Canada’s Arctic, Transport Canada, Canadian Ice Service (CIS), Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) as well as others, ship operators, and Indigenous governments, organizations, local communities and territorial governments, work to ensure that shipping in Canada’s Arctic is safe. Other agencies, including the CAF, contribute to safety to be sure, but the main agencies of note are mainly civilian and local agencies. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Transport Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and others ensure Canadian laws are respected. To deter and prosecute armed conflict, the CAF, especially the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), seek to deter, deny and defeat State and non-State-based threats, such as a sea-launched missile, and monitor the movement of other military vessels.

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