“[Recent data on the ice cover] appear to be tracking the most pessimistic of the models,” which call for an ice-free summer in 2013 [...] 2013 is starting to look as though it is a lot more reasonable prediction.”

— Warwick Vincent, director, Centre for Northern Studies, Laval University, Quebec (source : Reuters)

Please comment and share your thoughts.

Thank you

From the desktop of Stefan Bumbaru

Mr. Al Gore and Mr. Rajendra Pachauri receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Sweden. (Source: www.msnbc.com)

In early 2008, I sent Mr. Rajendra Pachauri a long email presenting the Project Seanergy.

Mr. Pachauri is head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, together with Mr. Al Gore.

Pachauri is also Director-General for The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Below is the said email, followed by his reply.

Initial email by Stefan BUMBARU

Montreal, February 15, 2008

Mr. Rajendra Pachauri
Chairman of IPCC

Mr. Pachauri,

GCast is an independent think-tank, which I founded in 2007, specialized in planning the implementation of new technologies within the market, focusing on green and renewable energies.

I am pleased to present to you one of our latest concepts: Seanergy.

Seanergy’s vision is the development of the Northwest Passage by full-spectrum implementation and use of green energies —mainly hydrogen— to create the modern worlds first green industrial zone.

Receding Polar icecaps represent a major concern among scientific and public authorities, and a challenge of unprecedented scale for many countries. It implies the gradual opening of maritime routes and a year round access to tidal energy resources in the Arctic. Therefore, the means and needs to develop innovative energy procurement chains in replacement of fossil fuels must be targeted and developed.

The Seanergy Project is an action plan specifically designed to define economically beneficial and environmentally sound approaches and means to achieve a sustainable development of the lower Arctic Circle.

The forthcoming prospect of developing the Arctic Passage using earth-friendly resources will help preserve the pristine cultural and natural qualities of one of the Earth’s last frontiers and will generate a large amount of economic opportunities. It also has the potential to become a viable alternative model of practice to compete against current practices, now proven to be unsustainable and damaging to the Earth.

Economic opportunities seldom come without environmental challenges. On the other hand, we believe, as you surely do, that environmental challenges always bring along economic opportunities. As we look forward to moving the Seanergy Project in its first phase of implementation, we realize the size of the challenge of bringing such a proposal on a broader agenda within a dedicated organizational structure.

Success in this ambitious endeavour could herald new standards of energy use. The efficiency of our model would ensure its replication on a worldwide scale, for the shared benefit of people, industries, our planet and its ecosystems. Change is both possible and urgently needed.

Seanergy will benefit to the decision-makers who will promote it and help it attain its stated goals.

It is obvious that the territorial issues concerning the Arctic regions and its future development are beyond any government’s jurisdiction. We are convinced that the IPCC can help us act on the elements of solutions you mentioned in your presentation from Valencia (page 9).

By providing much needed resources to launch the Seanergy Foundation and support Phase One activities, the IPCC will:

• benefit from further integration of international networks of organizations, research centers and industries around Seanergy.
• further promote the role of IPCC as a key player, an element of change and a leader in green energies and environmental issues.
• ensure that companies worldwide will be able to provide support and resources required to answer the needs of the corporations that will adopt our concept.

We therefore request your help and support and ask you to introduce our initiative to any delegates or organization it may concern and that could either provide appropriate information or logistical support to the Seanergy Foundation.

Please refer to the attached document or our online presence for further details and information.

Respectfully yours,

Stefan Bumbaru
President, Gcast

Mr. Rajendra PACHAURI’s reply

Dear Mr. Bumbaru,

Thank you for your email of 15 February 2008 and for sharing information on Seanergy. I shall try my best to bring this concept to the attention of those in authority and to those who would be willing to provide you with the necessary support and direction. Meanwhile, may I wish you the very best in all your activities.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,
R. K. Pachauri

1. Payment via PayPal: Donate the amount of your choice using PayPal via our site Seanergy.ca.
2. Credit card payment via PayPal: Donate the amount of your choice using your credit card via our site Seanergy.ca.
3. Cheque or money order: Send your donation to the amount of your choice to: Project SEANERGY Foundation inc. 10635 Vianney, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2B 2Y1.

Please drop us a note to discuss your support. If you have any question about donations, please contact Stefan via email [info @ seanergy dot ca] or phone [514.884.6086, we're in Canada].

For example, you can develop fundraising programs for the Foundation and share the rewards you help reap. There are other ways as well.

You can develop or manage an online campaign? You can gather support for Project SEANERGY? If so, our Revenue Sharing Program is for you. And it would greatly help. Please contact Stefan via email [info @ seanergy dot ca] or phone [514.884.6086, we're in Canada].

Typically, in these types of projects and joint ventures, we will work alongside, and co-manage any necessary resources you may mobilize for a specific project that serves Project SEANERGY Foundation’s mission. In doing so, you also share the success of each initiative with other respective partners.

Revenue sharing is, in this regard, the gift that keeps on giving back. To everybody.

By forwarding information on available solutions, their benefits and advantages, YOU end up speeding up their deployment. Thank you very much.

There are many ways you can help us share knowledge about environment and technologies, e.g. flagging new lines of trade and job creation, and showing how sustainability is not only affordable, but profitable.

If you can spread your knowledge and educate others, join the Project SEANERGY Foundation’s team and:

GATHER AND PROCESS KNOWLEDGE

• Become a subject matter expert: contribute to the transmission and maintenance of proper, accurate, complete, and relevant information. Whether you have a deep understanding of a specific topic, or have in your hands relevant analysis material, you can share it while you steer a subject matter expert group.
• Bring innovative expertise or creative thinking, and help reveal new values, stimulate new trades and solve issues.
• Become a content provider and feed the Project SEANERGY Foundation’s community of interest, provide our members access to studies or authorize access to knowledge databases and documentaries (i.e. archives footage, movies, etc.).

COMMUNICATE
You get what Project SEANERGY Foundation is all about, and have the creative talent and skills to help make easy-to-understand and fun to share creative elements? Well, don’t hesitate, give us a shout.

We have identified some subjects on our own and can even share briefings and resources if you ever need inspiration. Take a look at our Bad liners Gallery.

Any learning initiative that values teaching the future Project SEANERGY Foundation promotes will get our attention. Let us know what you need. Together, we will co-develop tailored and fun edu-kits and learning activities.

Please let us know about your interests and the extent of your participation. You may contact Stefan via email [info @ seanergy dot ca] or phone [514.884.6086, we're in Canada].

The Project SEANERGY Foundation will support your efforts in building and deploying this community of interest, all the way to the creation of the First Industrial Green Zone on Earth.

In this post, we explain what rewards can Compensation Leaders expect by supporting the development of a Zero Fossil Fuel Zone (ZFFZ) in the Arctic. By prioritizing the development of best-in-class services aimed at the Maritime Industry, Project SEANERGY ensures a win-win scenario to all parties, now and for the future.

Deployment of these services kicks off in 2011. Until then, our priority is to share and populate parts of our proposal while inviting stakeholders to get a better understanding of their interests at stake.

All this is based on the multiple advantages included in our proposition in contrast with the current available scenarios.

What we know so far
When it comes to big boats, everybody wins big by choosing Project Seanergy.

Here is why
We plan to speed up the offering of a high-quality Arctic crossing service, powered by clean and renewable energy. This will greatly benefit members of the Maritime Industry concerned by Asian-Europe crossing and currently being redirected through Canal and Cape routes

For them, the value of our proposal can translate into an ever-increasing number of Arctic crossing days year after year, and fixed fuel costs over 10 years for a big part of the way.

For Seanergy and the community, the challenge is to devise a scenario that can reassure the Industry on the safety, performance, sustainability and reliability of our recommended alternative.

The Maritime Industry can play a major role in a speedy deployment of the better solution. Since everybody stands to gain from this venture and that all parties’ decisions will influence other parties, the community and the environment, members of the Maritime Industry and other trade sectors are invited to become partners. Working amongst the team that builds this Zero Fossil Fuel Zone, Seanergy will strive to generate savings for operators, part of which will be channeled to renewable energy producers. We will then share the costs of doing business and split most of what is left between initial supporters of the Project Seanergy Foundation.

Here is How
Here is a very well-known fact: compared to the ZFFZ, all other routes represent very high opportunity costs. By allocating one third of the costs saved compared to alternate crossing routes, operators can facilitate and sustain the viability of a renewable energy based high-quality crossing service of the Arctic.

The service works like this
When entering the ZFFZ, the crossing ships are asked to stop their engines. From this point until they leave the ZFFZ, the boats will be supplied electricity and will be towed by hydrogen-powered vessels fuelled and operated by the ZFFZ.

The hydrogen is to be produced by turbines installed in currents or by mobile units. The generated electricity is converted into hydrogen and stored to be picked up, either on location or as close as possible to the turbine.

No Pollution is the Better Business Decision

Based on current fuel and turbine costs, a big ship needs roughly 15 Arctic passages to generate savings to operators that exceed the cost of the required turbines. When factoring in maintenance, service, and other infrastructure costs, this number increases to around 40 crossings.

The costs required to supply a service based on renewable hydrogen, in order to avoid fossil fuel in the Arctic, will be easily recovered within 5 years. This service will increase profitability for operators and less pollution for the community.

Regardless of costs savings, our current reckless disregard for consequences can be compared to the one of grandparents visiting their grandchildren and stowing a heater in their freezer just before leaving. Since they figure that they won’t be around when it’s time to mop up the place, and since this gesture seemed like a practical—yet half-baked—solution to their immediate needs, they are convinced that their grandchildren will not curse them. Nor will they wonder how come this happened to them and what they did to deserve such faith…

Based on these premises, we say: Project Seanergy means Big Boats and No Pollution in the Arctic.

We’re looking forward to your thoughts and comments.

Clean Current tidal turbine through Alstom

Alstom signed an agreement with the Canadian based company Clean Current. They plan on being market ready before 2012.

Alstom is a major global player and has been involved so far in hydroelectric projects totaling more than 400GW, roughly 25% of the current hydroelectric installed base.
Sources: http://energiesdelamer.blogspot.com/2009/06/alstom-hydro-sinvestit-dans-les.html

This is the case with the following map depicting the proposed location of four 50MW nuclear reactors.

Location for future nuclear reactors north of 60

Please note that this post is not yet complete and will be reworked in the near future. Still, we couldn’t launch the Seanergy Project Foundation blog without exposing this important matter to the public.

Don’t hesitate to share with us any information you might have on nuclear power in countries of the Arctic circle, including Canada and Russia.

Yes, according to The Guardian, in an article titled “Russia to build floating Arctic nuclear stations”:

“Russia is planning a fleet of floating and submersible nuclear power stations to exploit Arctic oil and gas reserves, causing widespread alarm among environmentalists.”

“The 70-megawatt plants, each of which would consist of two reactors on board giant steel platforms, would provide power (…) to allow Gazprom, to power drills needed to exploit some of the remotest oil and gas fields in the world in the Barents and Kara seas”

Whether it is to keep us better informed or to provide us with a different facts, your comments are welcomed. Note that at the present, and based on macro economics and sustained development fundamentals, we do not feel that the conclusions could change, considering the following questions.

Now why should we invest first in more resources to perfect and deploy these technologies than it would cost to develop a proper renewable energy network?

How is this proposal the better decision for future generations, the one creating the highest number of recurrent jobs and the least amount of undesirable residues and side effects (effective or potential)?

Thank you for reading this, and please share with us your reactions or more information on this or other topics.