1. Challenges and opportunities: Infrastructure development in Greenland and the future opening of the Northwest passage
Presented by Jens B. Frederiksen
Minister of Housing, Infrastructure
and Transport
Bruxelles , October

2. Outline of the presentation
The presentation will touch upon
What are the challenges facing Greenland?
What economic development opportunities do Greenland have?
What strategies do the Government of Greenland pursue?
Potential infrastructure partnerships between the EU and Greenland
Northwest passage Transit Port

3. Economic challenges
Moving from Self-Government towards a future independence
Economic development to replace annual grant of DKK 3,439 millions
Societal development – health, housing, education
Lack of economies of scale
Diversification of economy
Dependency on natural resources and
Erosion of preferences (OCT preferential treatment) in our fishing exports
Greenland is depending on imports from abroad as there are no big scale farming or industries, except from the fishing industry.
Therefore we rely heavily on imports of such as:
Oil
Food
Machinery

4. Geographical challenges
Sparsely populated
Remote communities
Coastal living
Cold climate
Huge areas north of the
Arctic Circle
Isolated from Markets

6. Modern Greenland – Industrial Opportunities
Projects developing
Test drillings for hydrocarbons off-shore
Increase in issued exploration and exploitation licences for minerals
Developing energy intensive industries with international partners
Hydropower ressources
Fiber net connection to Island and Canada (2009)

7. Transportation Commission
Set up by the Government in 2009
Mandate of the Commission is to analyse the constraints and opportunities for the transportation sector
Analyses ports, airports and roads
Finalises its report end of 2010

8. 8

9. Operating in Arctic waters9

10. Operating in Arctic waters10

11. Operating in Arctic waters11

12. Limited terminal infrastructure12

13. EU-Greenland partnership – for the development of an EU Arctic Policy: -elements of possible inclusion in EU’s further discussion for an Arctic Policy with relevant financial resources - a Future Northwest Passage? - a Transit Port? 13

14. INFRASTRUCTURE OVERVIEW

15. NORTH LINK the two submarine cable options

16. Questions?