Operating Companies in the Navigation of Merchants Ships along the Northern Seas - Coursework Example

MARITIME TECHNOLOGY ESSAY Technical, Navigation and Operational issues involved by Operating Companies in the Navigation of Merchants shipsalong the Northern Seas and risks minimization. Name of Student Student Number Grade Course Department Tutor’s Name 5Th December 2011 MARITIME TECHNOLOGY IN THE NORTHERN SEA ROUTE The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is highly vital in the navigation of merchant ships along the Arctic region. It links Asia and Europe by allowing ships to sail through the Pacific (Drent 1993). It distinctively has an advantage in that it is only half the distance of the route via the Suez Canal. However, according to a statement by Sasakawa during The Northern Sea Route User Conference (1998), the route is blocked by massive length of ice for a greater part of the year. It is only accessible through the short summer months, when the perennial ice barriers allow temporary access and ships navigate with the help of escorts by the Russian ice breakers (Brigham, 2000). Developments in shipbuilding technology; and coming up with new navigation aids have opened up the route hopefully for year-round navigation (Ragner 2000a). This essay seeks to examine the technical; navigation and operational issues in the realization of an effective Northern Sea Route in Navigation of Merchant ships. Year-round navigation on the NSR means massive economic and commercial benefits to the international community, as well as invigorates Russian goods transport; thus, availing more natural resources from the Russian Arctic on the world market (ScanEx 2010). Research efforts in the NSR have mainly focused on four themes incorporating; the natural circumstances in the Arctic and ice navigation technology; the eventual effects of opening the NSR upon the natural, biological and social environments in the Arctic regions; the potential of NSR economically and the political and legal backgrounds linked to the NSR opening (Brigham 2000). The following section will discuss the technical, navigational and operational activities undertaken by key players in the maritime industry in the realization of successful sailing in the arctic region. With the problem of ice in the arctic region, technical issues are core to the achievement of effective navigation in the sea. Invention of new vessels of high technology is crucial to counter the problem of ice in the Arctic region. Of late there has been the introduction of the first seismic vessel on the NSR; it has a design that saves time, fuel and cost (Oil & Gas Eurasia, 2011). This is a considerable achievement in the sense that, the aim of any organization is to sustainably reduce the cost of operation while at the same time, taking minimum time possible to accomplish any undertaking and achieve the intended target. According to Oil and Gas Eurasia (2011), the vessel by the name Polarcus Alima from the Dryocks World shipyard in Dubai is environmental friendly and complies with set laws. With the development of radar satellites, forecast charts have become exceedingly efficient. Whenever a problem is discovered, a solution is bound to be looked for; with the drawback of ice in the Arctic along the year, greater need to come up with ships up to the challenge is imperative (Oil and Gas Eurasia 2011). Reports have been issued calling for more technical expertise in the field of coming up with vessels to overcome the problems experienced in the NSR (Ragner 2000b). The presence of ice in the NSR calls for specially constructed ships and navigational skills. Ice in any of its form gives a significant obstacle in the navigation of ships within the polar waters (Brigham 2000). Stakeholders in the maritime shipping sector have of late been stressing that the effective use of the NSR will require heavy investment in the infrastructure like ports and fuels, as well as provisioning stations along the route which stretches for about 6,000 kilometers (Godoy 2011). According to Arctic Council (2009), the ship cruise industry has formed a cruise ship safety forum to further develop unique design and construction criteria for new vessels. This will ensure that navigation problems in the polar waters will be addressed. Technical advances and the incorporation of nuclear energy in the Far East, Europe and North America are a major venture to the realization of maximum, utilization of the NSR. According to The Voice Russia (2011), nine of the world’s ten nuclear ice breakers belong to the Russian Federation with Russia being the only nation that can provide merchant and military ship convoys with icebreakers. This is particularly effective as nuclear powered machines are efficient and environmental friendly as they do not emit carbon gases (Gold 2006). Therefore, it calls for cooperation on the Arctic states to develop the technology of nuclear ice breakers to enhance sailing in the NSR and at the same time conform to the rules and regulation adhering to environmental conservation. Navigation is considerably influenced by the sea ice and the depth of water. With NSR route, it is affected by ice for much of the year (Drent 1993). Although the NSR is a far much shorter route, ships navigate at a lower speed due to the ice and other technical problems involved with the route. Navigation aids, radio stations, weather and ice forecasting measures (hydrometeorology services) polar hydrographic vessels were introduced to ensure safe and efficient navigation. With the development of satellite technology, much has been achieved and follow ups have been ensured in the sense that monitoring has been done all over the Arctic region (ScanEx 2010). The problem of permanent ice in the sea led to the development of ice class cargo ships that could operate effectively in the sea full of ice (Husdal.com 2011). Further development led to the introduction of more capable freighters and more powerful icebreakers with large cargo ships that were better placed to operate in ice. These included the SA-15 type 20,000-dwt versatile combination, container, and bulk cargo carriers (Drent 1993). Systems of navigation and hydrological support are in a critical condition. Though the reduction of ice in the Arctic region is a key priority to the maximum utilization of the route, there is also the environmental implication of it (Husdal.com 2011). There will be increased carbon emission in the region and increased global warming. This will result to melting of ice in the Polar Regions which will raise the level of sea waters. Therefore, as much as the technical and operational issues are being enhanced, environmental implications should be looked at to alleviate any environmental catastrophe in the future arising due activities of utilizing the NSR. Calls for legal and policy framework for safety of Arctic Shipping and marine environment protection should be enhanced (Marine & Environmental Law Institute. 2008). This is highly crucial in the sense that the Arctic is not covered by any treaty dealing with the region as a whole especially the Spitsbergen which offers a legal framework for a limited geographical stretch; the Svalbard archipelago (BarentsObserver.com 2008). Cooperation in the NSR is crucial in the prevention and protection of the Arctic environment and its waters. According to Article 194 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; all states involved in the Arctic shipping, have the accountability for the protection of navigation and environmental protection in the region (UNCLOS 1982). According to Godoy (2011), rising temperatures in the far North have reached the point where both the Northwest Passage in the northern Coast of North America and the Northwest Sea Route are now free of ice. There is considerable thawing of ice, and the situations generate new opportunities for utilization in the Arctic region. Jensen (2007) argues that as much as technical and operational concerns are to be effected for effective sailing in the NSR; there is greater nee for training of the navigation officers. An ice navigator ought to have documented evidence of having completed an approved training program in ice navigation (Boisson 1999). This is crucial in the sense that expertise will be applied in the course of operation. Further, there should be more regulatory measures in the NSR to ensure the realization of greater success; a clear example is the introduction of a new bill by the Ministry of Transport in Russia regarding state regulation of merchant shipping in the NSR waters (Arctic portal 2011). This regulation will ensure modern infrastructure that provides safe navigation f vessels in Arctic waters. The Northern Sea Route is extremely beneficial in the sense that, the navigation distance from a port in North-West European to a port in the Far East is considerably shorter in comparison to using the Suez Canal (Husdal.com 2011). This shorter distance is particularly economical as time spent to take a cargo from one port to the other is minimized and also saves time. More trips can be made and carry more goods over a similar time it could have been taken while going via the Suez Canal (Drent 1993). However with the possible benefits of using the NSR, there are considerable risks that need considerations and strategic measures undertaken to ensure that the risks are minimized. The Northern Sea Route is only accessible during the summer, and there are no fixed dates as to when sailing can be effective. Therefore, this calls for effective forecasting measures to foretell the best time to navigate and when there are the ice free conditions. This call for infrastructure development that will ensure ice is cleared from the sailing routes and the ships be made to withstand the impacts of ice. With various technicalities observed in the maritime industry along the Arctic region, the initial regulations were introduced to the mariners as published notices (Drent 1993). This after the Northern Sea Route was declared open again to foreign shipping in 1991. The regulations by the Ministry of Defense in Russia, specified pilotage and ice breakers service and charts, as well as the directions of sailing made available (Brigham 2000). The venture was extremely imperative to ensure safety and efficient sailing of vessels in the sense that, ice was cleared from intended routes of sailing and then, directions given to the vessels to ensure they pass through designated routes that were free from icebergs. Technology has effected the operation of shipping in the large seas in the sense that with the problem of ice in the sea monitoring has been enhanced to ensure safety of both the mariners and ships. In 2010, the service of operational satellite-based radar monitoring was applied by the FSUE “Atomflot”; this was a technology undertaking for the monitoring of ice situation along the NSR (ScanEx 2010). One may tend to question the use of radar monitoring: this has been extremely effective in monitoring routes in air transport as well as in marine. This will ensure that mariners can get essential information on the exact condition of the Arctic region before hitting the ocean and thus effective methods undertaken to ensure safe sailing (Jensen 2007). Amid the NSR being a shorter route between Europe and the Far East, with the problem of ice it might cause more delay or even increase on the cost of voyage. The importance for researching on ways to evade the problems in the NSR was vital to ensure to realize considerable success. In 1993, a five year multi-disciplinary and multi lateral research program by the name International Northern Sea Route Programme (INSROP) was commenced (Ragner 2000b). INSROP’s paramount importance was to provide the users of NSR, as well as all interested partners in the route with a comprehensive, systematic data base of its own kind in the maritime industry. Its work was considerable and the findings highly effective, and it is stated as probably the best data base to ever be assembled in the maritime region in the world. With the ventures in the NSR, it meant greater risks and measures had to be taken to counter the implications of any catastrophe (Jensen 2007). This called for more insurance coverage of vessels; this led to a sub-project named Marine Insurance for the Northern Sea Route. On administration issues, due to the procedure involved for a vessel to be cleared to use the Northern Sea Route, it is wise for vessels to present their applications for transits three to four months earlier (Oil & Gas Eurasia, 2011; Ragner 2000b). There is also need for greater insights in the development of rescue and search vessels; this is crucial as far as emergency cases along the NSR are concerned. With improvement of operational strategies, the dream of having, a shorter, efficient and effective route from the Far East to the European and American States would be realized. In conclusion, the establishment of the Northern Sea Route as an alternative route to the Suez Canal and the Cape of Good Hope in the shipping industry will certainly add to more flexible, responsive and adaptive supply chains. This will result from the fact that more route choices will arise thus higher capacity and eventually the reduction of disruption and congestion. The challenge falls unto the innovators in the shipping industry to come up with operations and technology that will make the possibility of using the NSR be a reality; this is by coming up with the ship and equipments that will withstand the tough conditions of the Northern Sea Route. The operational, navigational and technical, strategic measures in the NSR are critical to the realization of a perfect route for sailing along the Arctic region. REFERENCES AMSA, 2009. Arctic Council; Status Recommendation of the AMSA 2009 Report Recommendation. [Accessed December 5 2011] from; http://www.trafi.fi/filebank/699- AMSA_StatusOfRecommendations_May2011.pdf Arctic Portal, 2011. New Laws on the Northern Sea Route. [Accessed on December 5, 2011] from; http://www.arcticportal.org/news/arctic-portal-news/new-laws-on-the-northern-sea- route BarentsObserver.com, 2008. Norway Challenged by Russian Plans in Spitsbergen Waters. [Accessed on December 5, 2011] from; http://www.barentsobserver.com/norway- challenged-by-russian-plans-in-spitsbergen-waters.4500045-28235.html Brigham, L., 2000. “The Emerging International Polar Navigation Code: NBi-Polar Relevance?” Vidas, D. (ed), Protecting the Polar Marine Environment- Law and Policy for Polluting Prevention. Cambridge University Press, pp 244-261. Brubaker, D., 2002. Environmental Protection of Arctic Water: The Northern Sea Route. Stolkholm. Drent, J., 1993. Commercial Shipping on the Northern Sea Route. The Northern Mariner.Vol. 3(2), pp 1-17. Available from http://www.cnrs- scrn.org/northern_mariner/vol03/tnm_3_2_1-17.pdf Godoy, J., 2011. Arctic Melt Stirs Economic ambitions Analysis. Erasiareview news and analysis. [Acessed on December 5 2011] from; http://www.eurasiareview.com/30092011- arctic-melt-stirs-economic-ambitions-analysis/ Gold, E., 2006. Gard Hand book on Protection of the Marine Environment. 3rd Ed. Arendal. Husdal.com, 2011. Final Frontier: The Northern Sea Route. [Accessed on December 5, 2011] from; http://www.husdal.com/2011/05/22/the-final-frontier-the-northern-sea-route/ Jensen, O., 2007. The IMO Guidelines for Ships Operating in arctic Ice-covered waters; From Voluntary to Mandatory Tool for Navigation Safety and Environmental Safety and Environmental Protection? Available from, http://www.fni.no/doc&pdf/FNI-R0207.pdf Marine & Environmental Law Institute. 2008. Governance of Arctic Marine Shipping. Dalhousie Law School. University Way, Halifax. Canada. Available from; http://arcticportal.org/ Oil and Gas Eurasia, 2011. First Seismic Vessel Transist of tehNorthern Sea Route Arctic-Ready design Saves time, fuel and cost. [Accessed on December 5, 2011] from http://www.oilandgaseurasia.com/articles/p/150/article/1673/ Ragner, C., (Ed.) 2000a. The 21st Century—turning point for the Northern sea route? (eBook). Kluwer Academic Publishers. Available from http://books.google.co.ke/books? Ragner, C., 2000b. Northern Sea Route Cargo Flows and Infrastructure-Present State and Future potential. Accessed from; http://www.fni.no/doc&pdf/FNI-R1300.pdf ScanEx, 2010. Northern Sea Route Development: Space Technology Introduction in Operational information support of ice breaker Fleet. [Accessed on December 4 2011] from the ScanEx web http://www.scanex.ru/en/news/News_Preview.asp?id=n207104129 The Northern Sea Route User Conference, 1999. The 21st Century- Turning Point for the Northern Sea Rouite. 18-20 November 1999-Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica, Oslo, Norway. Available from; http://www.fni.no/insrop/execsum.htm The Voice of Russia, 2011. Northern Sea Route. [Accessed on December 5, 2011] from, http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/11/22/60807981.html United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Montego Bay, 1982. ILM, vol. 21, 10 Decenmber, 1982, pp. 1,261 ff. Read More