Arctic Operational Platform
Background
The oil and gas resources of the Arctic regions in Russia are the world’s biggest energy reserve outside the OPEC countries. Due to their geographical location they are an important source in meeting the energy need in Europe.
There are a number of alternative routes for conveying oil and gas: direct pipelines, shipments across the Baltic Sea and direct carriage by ships along the Western part of the Northern Sea Route. All of these alternatives must be further developed to increase security of supply and cost-efficiency. The ARCOP project aims to develop an alternative that will make use of the Northern Sea Route.
Objectives
The environmental safety of shipping has lately become a central issue in transport by sea. European energy supply cannot be built upon a transport system that would cause an environmental hazard. Critical assessment of environmental safety is one of the priorities of the ARCOP project.
The economy of the transport dictates the viability of the transport solution developed. Within the framework of ARCOP, technology-based cost-efficiency for the entire transport system is sought for.
The laws and agreements regulating the transport play a key role in terms of both economy and environmental safety. ARCOP aims to map out and give recommendations for the legislative basis to be applied.
An open discussion that is conducted between the various interested parties is the best way to take the development to a direction that satisfies all the parties concerned. Discussions based on research and development and drafting of common recommendations are essential elements within the ARCOP.
Contents
The ARCOP project is a research and development project supported by the European Union, which is part of the ”Competitive and Sustainable Development” programme. It relates to development of the transport of the natural resources, particularly oil and gas, of the Arctic regions in Russia and consists of six parts as follows:
- Development of collection methods for ice information and ice forecasts in view of choosing transport routes (WP1).
- Assessment of the rules and regulations on transport by sea and of insurance and payment systems (WP2).
- Development of a united transport system for Arctic oil and gas transport (WP3).
- Development of the environmental impact assessment method and the environmental hazard management system (WP4).
- Trial in practice of the solutions developed and recommendations given during an actual transport assignment (WP5).
- Organisation of expert meetings between industry, authorities and representatives of technology to direct the project, to assess the results and to give recommendations (WP6).
The project will run for three years and its costs amount to € 5.23 million, of which € 3.02 million is aid from the EU.
A total of 21 organisations from five EU Member States (Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy) and from Russia and Norway are participating in the ARCOP project. The project is led by Aker Finnyards.
