Singapore fears for ice melts, the open sea

 The Arctic ice melting faster than ever before, opening the northern maritime routes gap Asia - Europe, threatening the traditional route that runs across Singapore.
Russia's ambitions
Over many centuries, explorers and traders are people on dream voyage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean is shortened by the North Pole across the Northeast voyage. Journey from the Dutch port of Rotterdam or a harbor somewhere in northern Europe to the port or ports of Japan Yokomaha Korea over the Arctic Ocean if only by 2/3 routes across the Indian Ocean in the south. So strict, year-round Arctic ice, mankind had to choose 32 days at sea in the 11,000 nautical miles voyage through the Suez Canal and the Strait of Malacca, instead of only 23 days over 7700 nautical miles across the Strait Bering.

 Every day more than 200 ships pass through the Strait of Malacca and many of those ships unloading at the port of Singapore - Photo: Thuc Minh
But now, that dream has come true many prospects in the context of the world are concerned the consequences of climate change. According to meteorological data recorded in the world, the "Easter Offensive" in 2010, the 3rd warmest year since 1936, the amount of Arctic ice melt than average to 56%. Normally in the winter, the Arctic ice covering an area of ​​14-15 million km2; late summer to mid-September, the remaining area of ​​the tape was about 7 million km2. But from 2007 to now, the ice cover in mid-September from 4.5 to 5 million km2 only. Snow and Ice Data Center of the U.S. national alert today 07/18/2011: "Ice is melting fast in the first half last July and tan surpassing the 2007 record." At this point, and to nearly 6 weeks to finish the melt season, but the area of ​​ice covered only 6.8 million km2, The Vancouver Sun reported Tuesday 3.8.
Unusual thaw in the Arctic makes the world and many nations fear could turn the city sank into the sea, but also the sea lanes open, but the Russian Northeast constant nurturing. Weather experts predict Russia's Alexander Frolov top last year said: "If the current thawing speed still further, then to 2050, the Arctic Ocean does not have a piece of ice in summer ". Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin plans to rebuild the Arctic route connecting the city of Arkhangelsk is located near Finland to the Bering Strait, is set in 1932 for military purposes, to make it possible voyage Northeast commercial operation year round. Arctic routes are still being used, from May 7-11 each year, under the assistance of icebreakers.
In 2009, two aircraft of Germany has been successful in the first commercial trip on the northeastern waters. MV "Beluga Fraternity" and MV "Beluga Foresight" left the port of Vladivostok near the border of three countries Russia, China and North Korea on 21.8, the South Korean city of Ulsan receipt, then go back up north. On 7.9, Novy ship docked in northwest Russia to loading and unloading, then continue to Rotterdam without any of the faults caused by snow and ice.

 The East North Sea (blue) through the Arctic Ocean only by third voyage south through the Strait of Malacca traditional (red)
Beluga Group's success has reinvigorated for Putin's ambitions. Reconstruction work and open up the Arctic route was started by the Russians take the test vessel. Despite the high cost of icebreaking, marine national corporations this year Sovcomflot transport compressed air passing through it, marking the ambition to control this energy-rich region of the Kremlin. Last month, the group's largest fertilizer Eurochem also transport refined 44,000 tons of iron ore to China by this route. Logistics director Igor Nechaev Eurochem said the company plans to increase train frequency per month.
Reuters also said Russia has announced plans to build a pedestal 40 and 55 receiving oil tankers not being covered in snow in winter, 14 gas transshipment at sea, and 20 vessels to transport gas in future.
Singapore fears
Located in the southern Malay Peninsula, Singapore narrow barrier at the site of Malacca Strait, part of the southern sea routes linking Europe with the traditions of the largest economies in Asia such as China, Japan, South Korea . Every day, more than 200 cargo ships passing the strait, carrying one third of all commercial goods in the world, not to mention the less than 300 passenger ships, cruise ships ... About 80% of Chinese oil imports Korea and Japan from the Middle East pass through here. According to calculations, the density of traffic through the Strait of Malacca higher through the Suez Canal to 6 times. The location term projects, plus the second largest container port in the world, Singapore benefited greatly from this maritime route.
Therefore, Customs plans to realize that the Russian Northeast worry Singapore. Because not only far offshore the southern Malacca Strait is always threatened by piracy. Recently, instability in the Middle East also makes shipping firms to dodge route across the Indian Ocean. 5.8 Straits Times newspaper quoted on the Singapore experts expressed concern that shipping firms can not only walk again Malacca Strait.
According to maritime experts Joshua Ho at the School of International Studies S. Rajaratnam Nanyang Technological University, Russia currently charges $ 200,000 for each of their icebreaker escort cargo ships over the Arctic Ocean. Russia currently has 9 electric icebreaker like atoms.
Besides the technical issues related to the handling of ice and snow that the Russians can confidently conquered the problem remaining is the amount of ice-breaking $ 200,000 for each voyage. The carriers will weigh the costs with shortened third voyage plus reduction bunker costs and CO2 emissions that they have to buy quota to operate. "Sea the North East can survive or not commercial efficiency depends very much on the Russian icebreaker under reduced charges or not," Mr. Ho concluded.