High North News - News, analysis and debate about politics and business in the North

Solcellepark Isfjord radio

Solar Energy in the North May Work Better Than Previously Thought

New research from the Belfer Center shows that the case for solar energy in the Far North could be stronger than previously thought.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

When Generals Move Gas Cans Away From a Flaming Fire

Comment (Oslo): "We cannot protect ourselves against everything," said the Norwegian Chief of Defense, Eirik Kristoffersen, providing a room full of international academics with Arctic expertise a crash course in democracy. "You can give me more power. But I don't want it."

Nytt stålverk i Luleå

Construction Start for Fossil-Free Steel Plant in Northern Sweden: “Historic for Swedish Industry”

SSAB has started construction of the company's new steel plant in Luleå, Northern Sweden. The steel plant is to produce fossil-free steel and will contribute to lowering Sweden's total CO2 emissions with a whopping 7 percent.

Notices

POLTICS / 18.09.2025

Russian “Police Car” in Svalbard

Recently, a car looking very similar to a Russian police car appeared in…

SCIENCE / 18.09.2025

More Methane Released as Arctic Lakes Warm

As the climate gets warmer and wetter, more methane is being released from…

SCIENCE / 18.09.2025

Small Changes in the Arctic Landscape Become Clear From Above

The permafrost in the Arctic is melting while vegetation spreads…

POLITICS / 12.09.2025

Tron Strand Appointed Major General and Commander of CAOC in Bodø

Brigadier Tron Strand was appointed as Major General and Commander of the…

Ny avtale mellom Danmark og Grønland

Extensive Agreement Between Denmark and Greenland

For the next four years, the Danish government will allocate DKK 1,6 billion for initiatives and investments in Greenland, including investments in ports and healthcare.

Sjef for Hæren, generalmajor Lars Lervik, på Army Summit-seminar ved UiT Norges arktiske universitet. Seminaret ble arrangert av Hæren, Den norske Atlanterhavskomité og dens ungdomsorganisasjon YATA. (Foto: Astri Edvardsen)

Norway’s Army Chief: No Practical Indications That the US Is Less Interested in Norway

Tromsø, Northern Norway (High North News): Donald Trump has created uncertainty around the US security guarantee, but the practical defense cooperation with the Americans is stable, according to the Chief of the Norwegian Army. Next year's major winter exercise in the High North is expected to have significant US participation.

High North News investigates: The Russian Gas Flow

LNG carrier Vladimir Voronin

Russian LNG Carrier Stops in Northern Norway’s Honningsvåg, Again

Russian LNG carriers continue to use Norway’s Arctic fjords as convenient service…

Also see

EU Proposes Phase-Out Of Russian Gas by 2027, Currently Spends €1.5bn Each Month on Imports

Deliveries of Russian LNG from Yamal Hold Steady, EU Transshipment Ban Showing Little Effect

EU Sanctions Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessels Routinely Passing Through Norwegian Waters, Stopping at Honningsvåg

Russia to Earn $160bn in Taxes From Northern Sea Route by 2035, Arctic Region Accounts for 7.5 Percent of GDP

Newnew Polar Bear convoy

Deepening Russia-China Relations Continue to Drive Oil, Gas, and Container Traffic Along Arctic Shipping Lane

Arctic transit shipping continues to be dominated by Russian-Chinese economic ties, a…

Eventin

Norway to Inspect Sanctioned Tankers in Efforts To Curb Russian Shadow Fleet

Norway has announced to begin inspecting foreign-flagged tankers passing through its…

Arc7 at Sabetta

French Shipyard Halts Service for Russian LNG Fleet, Leaving Danish Yard as Sole Western Provider

A French shipyard’s decision to stop servicing Russian liquefied natural gas vessels…

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

We Are Placing Our Faith in the Hands of a President With Contempt for Democracy

Comment: The US warship USS Gerald R. Ford has sailed into the Oslofjord once again. This reminds the rest of the country that we must prepare for war. Yet, the voyage into a fjord usually filled with cruise boats and pleasure yachts is also a story about us placing our faith in the hands of a president with dramatically different values from ours.

Michael Walsh

Trump Administration’s Securitization of Arctic Affairs and Its Implications for U.S. Federally Funded Research

The Trump Administration is in the process of securitizing Arctic affairs. "That will almost certainly have a significant impact on the future of U.S. federally funded research related to the Arctic", says Michael Walsh, researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand.

LNG carrier Vladimir Voronin

Russian LNG Carrier Stops in Northern Norway’s Honningsvåg, Again

Russian LNG carriers continue to use Norway’s Arctic fjords as convenient service stopover points. Over the weekend a Yamal LNG tanker stopped outside Honningsvåg for 18 hours before proceeding to Murmansk.

Republic of Koreas flag

South Korea to Subsidize Construction of Ice-class Vessels and Expand Port in Support of Arctic Shipping

South Korea announced substantial budget increases to support expansion of the port of Busan, readying it for future Arctic traffic and subsidizing domestic construction of ice-class ships.

LKAB og Kiruna kommune PK.

The Relocation of Kiruna: "The State Need to Contribute With More Land and Economic Support"

The ongoing relocation of the city of Kiruna in Northern Sweden has reached a critical point at which LKAB and the municipality ask the state for significant financial support and release of a larger area in order for the mining operations to continue.

Et amerikansk strategisk bombefly av typen B-2, ledsaget av et norsk F-35 jagerfly, slipper det nye våpenet mot et mål i nordnorsk farvann. (Foto: Forsvaret)

US and Norway Tested New American Precision Weapon in Northern Norway

American and Norwegian forces recently conducted a successful test of Quicksink, a new precision weapon, on a maritime target off Andøya in Northern Norway. "A clear example of how we work with trusted allies to bring new capabilities into play," says US Air Force Colonel Scott Gunn.

Survey for Arctic Way Soon to Be Completed

Bodø, Northern Norway (High North News): The seabed survey for the subsea cable Arctic Way will soon be completed. It will replace the old cable to Svalbard, but also establish a connection to Jan Mayen.

Den norske fregatten KNM Thor Heyerdahl ledsager USS Gerald R. Ford utenfor norskekysten. Hangarskipet er atomdrevet, 333 meter langt, 76 meter høyt – og 78 meter bredt. Om bord er et mannskap på rundt 4500 personer, og rom for rundt 90 fly og helikoptre. (Foto: Edward Valentin Coates/Forsvaret)

Extensive Training Activity in the High North With US Carrier Strike Group

The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group has recently been training with Norwegian and other allied forces off the coast of Northern Norway. "Our partnership with US forces is close despite changes in US security policy," says the Chief of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters.

Russiske trålere Svalbard

Norway Worried About a Possible Shadow Fleet by Svalbard

A company of unknown origin has applied for a permit to transfer Russian liquefied natural gas from ship to ship in a fjord in Svalbard. The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection fears that this involves ships from the Russian shadow fleet and has asked the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security for advice.

Markus Thonhaugen, Nepal

Stories of Frustration from the «Third Pole»

I came to Kathmandu for a conference. I left as the airport shut, protests turned deadly, and the prime minister resigned. These are the impressions I carried home, says Markus J. Thonhaugen at the High North Center.

Newnew Polar Bear convoy

Deepening Russia-China Relations Continue to Drive Oil, Gas, and Container Traffic Along Arctic Shipping Lane

Arctic transit shipping continues to be dominated by Russian-Chinese economic ties, a new CHNL analysis shows. Though an upcoming expansion of container service will bring Western European ports into the mix.

Northvolt, Skellefteå

Northvolt Acquisition: Announcing New Leadership for Battery Company

US-based battery company Lyten recently entered into an agreement to acquire remaining Northvolt assets in Europe, including its factory in Skellefteå, Northern Sweden. Lyten has also announced key roles in the new leadership following the acquisition.

Sara Kulturhus i Skellefteå. Foto: Sven Burman

Population Decline for Northern Swedish Municipality

The population of Skellefteå decreased during the first half of 2025. The decline comes in the wake of the bankruptcy of the battery manufacturer Northvolt.