Norwegian shipping major fears Arctic melting
Fred Olsen, Norways richest man and shipping legend, says he is concerned about Norwegian industrys major current focus on the High North and the Arctic. We know too little about what we are facing, he underlined at a conference in Bodø, Norway, this week.
Mr. Olsen also said that Norway might make itself too dependent of the Russians, following StatoilHydros partnership with Gazprom in the Shtokman project. Speaking at the conference Maritimt Forum Nord, the businessman underlined that the danger of accidents in the Arctic is too big. He also expressed doubt that shipping over the North Pole will be economically profitable, arguing that the demands for ice protected tankers and the short shipping season will be too expensive. -If I was to decided the shipping and petroleum investments in the Arctic should be put on ice, he said, newspaper Avisa Nordland reports. Mr. Olsen also highlighted that preparedness and emergence support is non-existent in the area.
