Arctic Shipping conference will convene in Russia

Arctic Shipping conference will convene in Russia    Projected burgeoning gas and oil-driven cargo volumes in the Russian arctic region — from the current 8 million tons to 100 million tons in 2010 — will be discussed at the second Arctic Shipping Conference, April 25-26 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
   'There is no clear answer yet on how Russia will provide a sufficient icebreaking service to meet such growth,' said Kimmo Juurmaa, manager of arctic business development for Deltamarin, one of 40 speakers and panelists at the conference.
   Juurmaa also cited concerns about 'unpredictable' Russian ice-breaking fees. International law allows a coastal state to set the rates where there is six months of ice cover. 'We need greater transparency on how fees are defined and levels set. In Russia, they are decided on a yearly basis, and can be at least 10 times higher than in Finland, for instance,' he said in a statement.
   Other topics at the conference include the impact of climate change on polar shipping, arctic LNG carrier designs, propulsion solutions for safer ice navigation, risk management in cold climates, and sailing in 24-hour darkness.
   For more information, e-mail paulellis.dpr@btopenworld.com .