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Russia to have ten Arctic rescue centers by 2015

Russian authorities have allocated 910 million rubles (€21.8 million) to the creation of ten centers for search and rescue along the Northern Sea Route.

Location

The centers will be located in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Naryan-Mar, Vorkuta, Nadym, Tiksi, Pevek, Provideniya and Anadyr. A total of 980 persons will be working at the centers, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations’ web site reads.

Projects for the centers have already been prepared and constuction is planned to be finished by 2015.

It has earlier been announced that also the port of Amderma in Nenets Autonomous Okrug is planned to become an important part of the network of search and rescue centers.

Cargo transport through the Northern Sea Route is expected to skyrocket in course of the next decade. Russia’s Ministry of Transport believes cargo transport through NSR will increase from last year’s 1.8 million tons to 64 million tons by 2020. The main challenges for a more use of the sea route are the need for new icebreakers and the lack of infrastructure, first of all instruments for navigation and communication and bases for search and rescue services.

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