Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell says one of Norway’s oldest
shipping firms, Tschudi Shipping Co, is exploring the possibility of
establishing a transshipment port in western Alaska.
The lieutenant governor made the announcement Nov. 12,
calling it a tremendous step toward developing Alaska’s economic opportunities
in Arctic shipping. Treadwell said that the Tschudi family understands the
strategic position of Alaska and the practical value of new opportunities as
ice recedes.
“We’ve long known that ports in Western Alaska, including
Adak and Dutch Harbor, offer a valuable global location with links to
trans-Pacific routes,” Treadwell said. “As we look to develop our Arctic
economy, we believe this opportunity to link ports in Europe on trans-Atlantic
routes to ports in Alaska will be an important first step.”
Tschudi operates shipping, offshore and logistics worldwide
with particular focus on east-west cargo flows between Northwest Europe,
Central Asia and Russia, including logistics in the Norwegian and Russian
Arctic. Treadwell said Tschudi wants to establish a location to serve as an
intermediate or transshipment site for goods and commodities shipped to and
from Scandinavia and Europe via its port facilities in Kirkenes, Norway, along
Russia’s Northern Sea Route and through the Bering Strait bound for Pacific
ports in the continental United States, Alaska or Far East Ports.
Discussions with Tschudi began several weeks ago in Iceland.
They continued last week at a workshop organized by the University of Alaska
Fairbanks and the Institute of the North in cooperation with the Norwegian
Embassy in Washington and the Centre for High North Logistics to explore
shipping opportunities.
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