Infrastructure:Bothnia
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Bothnia has a robust infrastructure following a 10‐year economic investment program, begun in 1985, with the assistance of Donovia to provide roads, railways and airports to enable swift movement of military assets. This program continued with numerous later Bothnian and Bothnia‐Otso joint Infrastructure projects. The national Infrastructure also enhanced Bothnia’s economic distribution system. Notable among improvements over the past 30 years has been the construction and improvement of the ports that now ensure maximum sea access even during the coldest of winters.
Road transportation in Bothnia is the most popular method of transportation, especially in rural areas where the railway network does not cover. As of 2016 there are 39,524 km. of public roads of which 19,630km. are paved. The main road network comprises over 6,965 km. of road. Approximately 64% of all traffic takes place on the main roads. Construction of motorways started in the 1960s but they are still rare because the traffic volumes are not large enough to motivate construction. Bothnia has a current total of 663km. of motorways.
The Bothnian railway network comprises 3,642km. of broad gauge track of which 1187km. is electrified. In 2016, passengers made 7.2 million long distance voyages and 35.4 million trips in local traffic. Over the same period 21 million tons of freight were transported. Bothnia and Otso share an extensive waterway network, the majority of which (approximately 70%) is located in Otso. However, Bothnia does possess a limited network of waterways in the interior of the country that were used to move goods and timber within the country until about the 1960s. Since then, road and rail transportation have dominated the commercial transportation of goods and the waterways are now primarily used for leisure. In addition, frequent ferry services connect Bothnia to Estonia, Framland and Torrike.
In domestic service, ferries connect Bothnia’s many islands to the mainland. Bothnia has an extensive airport network. The airports are also enhanced by a network of runways on main roads and are used for military purposes. There are 81 airfields 31 of which have paved runways and 12 of which are served by passenger flights. By far the largest airport is Brahea‐Vantaa Airport, and the second largest by passenger volume is Oulu Airport. Other international airports include Turku Airport and Tampere‐Pirkkala Airport. All airports in the country are owned and run by the government.
Due to a lack of natural energy resources, Bothnia was an early investor into alternative energy sources. With a centralized and subsidized investment program, the need for self‐sufficiency was increasingly emphasized during the 1990s. This included the development of the Tampere hydroelectric plant. However, Bothnia remains heavily dependent upon hydroelectric power supplies from Otso and fossil fuels from Donovia to meet its energy requirements. The heartland of Bothnia’s industry is centered on Tampere and the Brahea Metropolitan area and the maintenance of the rail and road infrastructure is a high priority in these areas.
Bothnia has a well‐structured telecommunication network with mobile phone towers throughout the country. In addition, a good cable network in the south of the country created the need for a robust defensive C2 network.
The overriding priority for the development of Bothnia’s infrastructure is defense. Economic factors and priorities are secondary. This reflects the overriding Bothnian approach to international affairs: it sees itself as an isolated haven of socialism surrounded by the corrupt and threatening European NATO states and allies and neutral states that are unreliable.
Major Cities and Urban Zones
Over 63% percent of Bothnia's people live in urban areas; overall there are nine metropolitan areas with populations over one hundred thousand residents.
City | Est Pop (2017) | Pop Dens/km.2 | UBD | Road | Air | Rail | Sea | Power | Water | Sanitation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brahea | 1,129,393 | 2,803.6 | H | C | C | C | C | Dv | Dv | Dv |
Hameenlinna | 68,819 | 32.9 | H | C | C | C | C | Dg | Dg | Dg |
Kokkola | 47,278 | 29.7 | M | C | C | C | C | Dg | Dg | Dg |
Jyviskylc | 135,780 | 92.5 | M | M | M | M | NE | Dg | Dg | Dg |
Lahti | 103,754 | 671.3 | H | M | C | C | NE | Dv | Dv | Dv |
Oulu | 196,291 | 63.3 | H | M | M | C | C | Dg | Dg | Dg |
Pori | 85,418 | 70.7 | M | M | M | M | M | Dg | Dg | Dg |
Porvoo | 49,728 | 76.2 | H | M | NE | M | M | Dg | Dg | Dg |
Rovaniemi | 61,551 | 7.7 | M | P | M | M | NE | Dg | Dv | Dv |
Tampere | 223,004 | 324.1 | H | M | M | M | NE | Dv | Dv | Dv |
Turku | 183,824 | 724.8 | H | M | M | C | M | Dv | Dv | Dv |
Vaasa | 66,965 | 184.6 | M | P | M | P | M | Dg | Dv | Dv |
Vantaa | 221,821 | 922.9 | H | C | C | C | NE | Dv | Dv | Dv |
Legend (per TC-7-101): (UBD) urbanized building density, (L) low, (M) medium, (H) high, (P) primitive, (M) moderate, (C) complex, (NE) non-existent, (Dg) degraded, (Dv) developed
Brahea
Founded in 1550, Brahea is the capital and largest port city of Bothnia. Located on a peninsula it is well suited for shipping and is a major transshipment of the goods and products generated by the Bothnian economy. Many of the major buildings in the city are constructed using the local marble giving the city an overall white appearance. The limited land area coupled with high urban density and coastline creates a highly complex terrain challenge for administration and public transport.
Brahea's location severely limits land-based transit systems to the limited available area resulting in heavy use of water-borne transportation systems. Shipping piers, docks, ferry terminals and other water-borne transport infrastructure dominate the majority of the city's coastline. Only three main vehicle thoroughfares enter the city center; one from the northeast,one from the north, and one from the west. Available land is such a scarce commodity that the main airport servicing Brahea is actually located to the north in Vantaa. The terminus of the railroad in the city is primarily used for passenger movement with light freight service. The rail system does support high-speed trains for connection to the other major cities in Bothnia.
Tampere
Tampere in southern Bothnia sits between Näsijärvi Lake and Pyhäjärvi Lake, with the Tammerkoski rapids in between. The narrow land bridge, approximately .5km. wide, between the two lakes is one of the few East-West crossings between Tukkila in the North and Lempaala in the South, a distance of almost 80km. The channel between the lakes runs through the city with eight bridges and one rail line crossing it. The city is predominantly found on the western side of the two lakes and spreads North and South along the banks. Numerous marinas for personal watercraft line the lake shore with the largest craft supported being 70-80 ft. excursion boats.
Industrial areas are predominantly found on the western side of the lakes with some large housing complexes intermingled. Commercial construction supports storage and movement of agricultural and mining products from the region. The rail yards dominate the eastern side of the city with both freight and passenger lines. Some light industry and shipping warehouses are also located in the eastern part of the city in close proximity to the rail yard for ease of access.
Residential housing includes single family houses of brick, block, and mortar construction as well as large apartment complexes housing 100s of families. Few structures are 10 stories high with the majority 6-8 stories tall. Few older buildings remain in the city with some religious and city municipal buildings still being of older construction using stone and similar materials.
Vantaa
The city center dates from the Stone Age with modern construction and infrastructure for industry, transportation, and commercial facilities. In modern times the city underwent a name change from Helsingin to Vantaa. Modern construction and architecture defines the majority of the city. Vantaa is a nexus of transportation systems for the entire country; main airport for the country, large rail yards that support both freight and high-speed trains, as well as four major highways.
Residential properties are mainly single family homes in the northern and southern neighborhoods with large apartment blocks predominantly found in the city center and eastern neighborhoods. The airport and supporting industrial buildings dominate the western portions of the city. Suburban communities continue to grow between Vantaa and Brahea located 15km. to the southwest.
Medical Facilities
Bothnia has a highly decentralized, three-level, publicly-funded system of health care and alongside these, a much smaller private health care system. Responsibility for health care is devolved to the municipalities (local government). For the organization of specialized medical care, Bothnia is divided into 20 hospital districts. Five of them are university hospital districts. The Hospital District of Brahea and Uusimaa is the largest of the university districts. One hospital district can run several hospitals. The Hospital District of Brahea and Uusimaa have 24 hospitals throughout the province of Uusimaa in southern Bothnia; for more details see the Social Variable.
Hospitals in Bothnia | |
Central Bothnia Central Hospital | Jyväskylä |
Brahea University Hospital | Brahea |
Southern Ostrobothnia Central Hospital | Seinäjoki |
Jorvi Hospital | Espoo |
Hyvinkää University Hospital | Hyvinkää |
Jokilaakso Hospital | Jämsä |
Lapland Central Hospital | Rovaniemi |
Oulu University Hospital | Oulu |
Päijänne Tavastia Central Hospital | Lahti |
Tampere University Hospital | Tampere |
Turku University Hospital | Turku |
Porvoo Hospital | Porvoo |
Vaasa | Vaasa |
Peijas Hospital | Vantaa |
Utilities Present
All Bothnian utilities are state owned, operate reliably, and are managed to maintain national level power production requirements. Bothnia possesses a mix of renewable, fossil fuel and nuclear power generation plants and has effective water and waste management structures. Bothnia possesses no domestic sources of fossil energy and must import substantial amounts of petroleum, natural gas and other energy resources, including uranium for nuclear power.
Power
BothOil (Bothnian Oil) is the sole oil refiner in Bothnia, exporting petroleum products such as gasoline and fuel oil to GBCC countries. Bothoil imports came from Donovia, Denmark, and the rest from UK, Kazakhstan, and Algeria. Petroleum comprises 24% of Bothnia energy consumption. Most of petroleum is used in vehicles but about 140,000 homes are heated by heating oil. Bothnia imports gas from Donovia. There is limited gas storage capacity. Natural gas has been used since 1974 after the first oil crisis. Additionally, coal is imported from a number of countries and approximately 3.96 million tons were used in 2015. Peat is the most popular energy source in Bothnia for new energy investments for their energy development program. The new energy plants in Bothnia starting 2005‐2015 have as energy sources peat (36%) and hard coal (11%). As of 2016, Bothnia’s nuclear power program has four nuclear reactors in two power plants. The first of these came into operation in 1977. In 2015 they provided 28.9% of electricity. They are among the world’s most efficient, with average capacity factors of 94% in the 1990s. A fifth nuclear reactor is under construction, but is currently behind schedule. Bothnia also has a number of renewable energy sources. These include; water, forest industry black liquor, other wood residues and wind. Below is a list of Bothnian power stations by type.
Name | Location | Type | Capacity MWe | Status |
Lovlisa 1 | Lovlisa | VVER | 488 | Operational |
Lovlisa 2 | Lovlisa | VVER | 488 | Operational |
Okiliuoto 1 | Okiliuoto | BWR | 860 | Operational |
Okiliuoto 2 | Okiliuoto | BWR | 860 | Operational |
Okiliuoto 3 | Okiliuoto | EPR | 1600 | Under construction |
(VVER–Donovian Water‐Water Energetic Reactor; BWR–Boiling Water Reactor; EPR‐European Pressurized Reactor)
Fossil fuel power generation stations
Name | Location | Type | Capacity MWe | Status |
Hanasaari Power Station | Brahea | Coal | 220 | Operational |
Inkoo Power Station | Inga | Coal | 1,000 | Operational |
Kellosaari Power Station | Brahea | Fuel oil | 118 | Operational |
Kristiina Power Station | Kristinestad | Coal & fuel oil | 450 | Operational |
Kymijarvi Power Station | Lahti | Coal, natural gas & biogas | 200 | Operational |
Leilahti Power Station | Tampere | Natural gas | 147 | Operational |
Martinlaakso Power Station | Vantaa | Coal & natural gas | 195 | Operational |
Meri‐Pori Power Station | Pori | Coal | 560 | Operational |
Naistenlahti Power Station | Naantali | Natural gas, peat, wood & fuel oil | 189 | Operational |
Nokia Power Station | Tampere | Natural gas | 70 | Operational |
Salmisaari Power Station | Brahea | Coal | 160 | Operational |
Suomenoja Power Station | Espoo | Natural gas & coal | 359 | Operational |
Tahkoluoto Power Station | Pori | Coal | 235 | Operational |
Vaskiluoto Power Station | Vaasa | Coal & fuel oil | 390 | Operational |
Vuosaari Power Station | Brahea | Natural gas | 630 | Operational |
Name | Location | Type | Capacity MWe | Status |
Alhomes Power Station | Jakobstad | Biomass & peat | 265 | Operational |
Haapavesi Power Station | Haapavesi | Peat | 154 | Operational |
Keljonlahti Power Station | Jyväskylä | Biomass & peat | 209 | Operational |
Naistenlahti Power Station | Tampere | Natural gas, peat, wood & fuel oil | 189 | Operational |
Raulalahti Power Station | Jyväskylä | Peat & wood | 87 | Operational |
Seinäjoki Power Station | Seinäjoki | Peat & wood | 120 | Operational |
Toppila Power Station | Oulu | Peat | 190 | Operational |
Vanaja Power Station | Hämeenlinna | Biomass, peat & natural gas | 54 | Operational |
.
Name | Location | Type | Capacity MWe | Status |
Petäjäskoski Dam | Rovaniemi | Hydroelectric | 154 | Operational |
Taivalkoski Dam | Keminmaa | Hydroelectric | 133 | Operational |
Details on Bothnian energy economic factors are in the Economics variable.
Submarine power cables
A submarine power cable is a transmission cable for carrying electric power below the surface of the water. These are called "submarine" because they usually carry electric power beneath salt water (arms of the ocean, seas, straits, etc.) but it is also possible to use submarine power cables beneath fresh water (large lakes and rivers).
Most electrical power transmission systems use alternating current (AC), because transformers can easily change voltages as needed. Direct-current transmission requires a converter at each end of a direct current line to interface to an alternating current grid. A system using submarine power cables may be less costly overall if using high-voltage direct current transmission, especially on a long link where the capacitance of the cable would require too much additional charging current. The inner and outer conductors of a cable form the plates of a capacitor, and if the cable is long (on the order of tens of kilometers), the current that flows through this capacitance may be significant compared to the load current. This would require larger, therefore more costly, conductors for a given quantity of usable power to be transmitted.
Direct current cables | |||
Name | Voltage (kV) | Landing Points | Notes |
Estlink-1 | +/-150 | Espoo, Bothnia
Harku, Estonia |
Length: 105 km (65 mi)
Service date: 2006 Under the Gulf of Finland |
Estlink-2 | 450 | Anttila, Bothnia
Püssi, Estonia |
Length: 171 km (106 mi)
Service date: 2014 Under the Gulf of Finland |
Fenno–Skan | 400 | Rauma, Bothnia
Dannebo, Torrike |
Length: 233 km (145 mi)
Service date: 1989 Under the Gulf of Bothnia |
Water
The Ministry of Environment and Agriculture (MOEA) supervises the Regional Environment Centers and the Bothnian Environment Institute in duties relating to the use and management of water resources. In 1999, the MOEA (responsible also for forestry) produced a new strategy for water resources management. In 2005, 90% of Bothnia was within the centralized water distribution. The number of households relying on well water was still quite extensive. The fields of waterworks in Bothnia are fragmented with a considerable number of water supply services.
The role of irrigation is relatively insignificant in Bothnia, mainly used in the cultivation of vegetables. There has however been some increase in research and development with the main emphasis on fertilization with controlled drainage in the cultivation of potatoes. Flood protection in the north has improved considerably as a result of the construction of major hydroelectric power stations in the main watercourses from the 1940s until the 1960s and the associated construction of reservoirs and regulation of watercourses. Most flood control projects were completed in the 1990s, and as a result about 50,000 ha of arable land are no longer flooded. The regulation of lakes and rivers mainly serves the needs of hydroelectric power production and flood protection, but needs linking to the multiple use and protection of the watercourses.
Sanitation
Almost 66 million tons of waste were generated in Bothnia in 2016. Just short of 2.4 million tons of municipal waste were collected, under half of it generated by households. The recovery rate of municipal waste went up somewhat, thanks to improved sorting and separate collections. Altogether 1.4 million tons municipal waste were land filled in 2014. Bothnian waste legislation covers all types of waste except certain special wastes such as radioactive wastes, which are controlled by separate laws.
The MOEA supervises and controls the way Bothnian waste legislation is put into practice.
The Bothnian Environment Institute conducts research and training, publicizes new ideas and methods, and monitors all developments related to waste issues, while also participating in drawing up new legislation and guidelines related to waste. The Institute also monitors international waste shipments.
Nuclear waste management. A modern storage facility for high‐level nuclear waste has been built at Onkalo near the Olkiluoto nuclear power station. This facility, excavated to a depth of over 500m, is designed to be the sole repository for spent nuclear fuels for the next 100 years and is operated according to international standards. Intermediate and low level waste is disposed of separately although control arrangements have been criticized by the International Atomic Energy Administration (IAEA) in the past.
The responsibility for nuclear waste management lies with the nuclear power companies, who must take care of the measures associated with the management of the nuclear waste they have generated, and bear the costs for these measures. According to the 1994 Bothnian Nuclear Energy Act, all nuclear waste must be treated, stored and disposed of in Bothnia, and no nuclear waste from other countries shall be imported to Bothnia. The final disposal of spent nuclear fuel generated in power plants owned by TVO and Fortum, as well as the task of conducting the associated research, belongs to Posiva, founded by the two power plant companies.
Transportation Architecture
Bothnia possesses a relatively modern transportation network comprising national and regional road, rail, air and waterway networks. The maintenance of these networks is tightly controlled by national and regional bodies that ensure that any work is prioritized and consistent with the Bothnian defense and economic priorities.
Road System
The extensive road system is utilized by most internal cargo and passenger traffic. However, the development and maintenance of the road network is primarily also focused upon meeting military priorities. In 2010, there was 39,524 km. of public roads of which 19,630 were paved. The main road network comprises over 6,965 kms. of road and approximately 64% of all traffic takes place on these main roads. Road network expenditure of around USD1 billion per annum is paid with vehicle and fuel taxes that amount to around $1.5 billion and $1 billion per annum respectively. Motorways have been constructed in the country since the 1960s but are still quite rare because the volumes are not large enough to motivate their construction. The motorway network totals 663km.
Road transport in Bothnia is a popular method of transportation, particularly in rural areas where the railway network is limited. Speed limits change depending on the time of the year; the maximum speed limit on motorways is 100 km./h in the summer and 80 km./h in the winter. The main roads usually have speed limits of either 100 km./h or 80 km./h. Speed limits in urban areas range between 30 km./h and 60 km./h. Bothnia, like most other European countries, has right‐ hand traffic. There are no toll roads in Bothnia. Some ice roads, which form seasonally, depending on temperature, are maintained by the state, the longest one being the seven kilometer Koli Ice Road, which cuts 50 km. off the distance between Lieksa and Koli.
Streets are maintained by the local municipality. Winter maintenance of roads and streets is managed by a local authority. Main roads are maintained by the state. Private roads are maintained by the community using them, and may not be public rights of way (and denied communal subsidies). All main roads and almost all regional roads are paved. They are generally greater than 7 meters wide. About half of the connecting and local roads are paved. Connecting and local roads are not usually marked with numbers, but with ordinary traffic signs. The main highways are all paved and have at least two lanes; further, they are better maintained than main and regional roads and historically they were labelled as causeways.
Rail
The Bothnian railway network consists of a total of 3,642km. of Broad Gauge (1524mm) railway lines. There are Passenger trains are operated by the state-owned VR Group. They serve all the major cities and many rural areas, though railway connections are available to fewer places than bus connections. Most passenger train services originate or terminate at Brahea Central railway station, and a large proportion of the passenger rail network radiates out of Brahea, which was the central hub of Otsobothnia. High‐speed services are operated from Brahea to other major cities like Oulu, Tampere and Turku. The cheaper and older long and short distance trains operate in areas with fewer passengers. Of specific note is the development of the Savio Rail Tunnel. The Tunnel, located near to the capital city of Brahea, connects the Vuosaari Harbor with the Brahea–Tampere main line in Kerava. The Brahea area has three urban rail systems: a tramway system, Brahea Metro, and the VR commuter rail system. Light rail systems are currently being planned for Turku and Tampere, two of the country's other major urban centers. Despite low population density, taxpayers spend annually around $150 million in maintaining railway tracks to many rural towns. Currently the only operator is the state‐owned.
The Bothnian railway network has links to adjacent countries. The links are as follows:
- Torrike and Framland – break of gauge – 1524mm to 1,435mm; change of voltage 25 kV AC/15 kV AC.
- Otso – No break of gauge. In Bothnia, only Brahea has retained a tram network. In 2010, Turku and Tampere have preliminary plans for new tram systems, but no decision to build them has been made. Brahea currently operates 12 tramlines on a network of approximately 90kms. of track in passenger service. Nearly the entire network consists of double track route, such that the route length is approximately half of total the track length. Around 200,000 passengers use the tram network each weekday and within the inner city of Brahea, trams have established a position as the main form of public transport. The system is being expanded substantially in 2010–2015 to new residential areas.
Airports
The main international passenger gateway is Brahea‐Vantaa Airport with over 4 million passengers in 2017. About 12 airports have scheduled passenger services. They are financed by the state and rural airport are also subsidised. The Brahea‐Vantaa based Bothnian National and BothnianComm Airlines provide air services both domestically and internationally. Brahea has an optimal location for great circle routes between Western Europe and the Far East. The second largest airport by passenger volume is Oulu Airport. Other international airports include Turku Airport and Tampere‐Pirkkala Airport. The larger airports are managed by the state‐owned Bothniavia (formerly the Bothnian Civil Aviation Administration), while the smaller ones are usually managed by municipal authorities. Bothnia National and BothniaComm Airlines are the main carriers for domestic flights. Air traffic is handled primarily from the international Brahea‐Vantaa Airport, located approximately 19kms.12 mi.) north of Brahea's downtown area, in the neighboring city of Vantaa. Brahea's second airport, Malmi Airport, is mainly used for general and private aviation.
Maritime Seaports
Until the mid‐1950s, Bothnia had a mediocre shipbuilding capacity, practically no oceangoing vessels, and poor seaport facilities. After 1957, however, shipbuilding and harbor construction mushroomed as the government invested heavily in those industries, in part because of large and continuing Donovian purchases of seagoing vessels. Reconstruction of the ports of Vaasa, Oulu and Vantaa moved forward. By the 1970s, Vantaa, which had received the highest funding priority, ranked fourth among Baltic Sea ports. Further improvements to facilities at Vantaa during the 1986‐90 Five Year Plan period, completion of the Tampere‐Vantaa autobahn and the electrification of the Tampere‐Vantaa railroad line increased Tampere's importance to the country's economy. In 1995, the Bothnian oceangoing merchant fleet numbered 90 with a total of one million deadweight tons. Freight turnover in the three Baltic ports in 1995 amounted to about 453,000 tons in Oulu, two million tons in Vaasa, and 14 million tons in Vantaa. Vuosaari harbor, enhanced in 2005, is the largest container port. There is passenger traffic from Brahea and Turku, which have ferry connections to Estonia, Framland, Arnland, Torrike and several other destinations.
Bothnia has 27 seaports located along the Gulf of Bothnia. There are 14 Bothnian ports that average more than 1 million tons of cargo throughput annually. The only ports that can accommodate Military Sea Lift Commands (MSC) Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off (LMSR) ships are the Port of Helsinki, Port of Turku, and the Port of Inkoo. Bothnian’s largest and most productive port is the Port of Helsinki, which lies on the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia off the Baltic Sea about 160 nautical miles west of St. Petersburg in Donovia, about 42 nautical miles north-northeast of the Port of Tallinn in Estonia, and about 56 kilometers east of Bothnia’s Port of Inkoo. The northernmost capital in continental Europe, the Port of Helsinki handles over half of Bothnian's imports. In 2005, almost 560 thousand people lived in the Port of Helsinki, and more than a million lived in the urban area.
The Port of Helsinki is for the most part a service-based economy, but industry still employs many people. The major industries in the Port of Helsinki include textiles, printing, and processing of metals and chemicals. Manufacturers produce electrical equipment and the world-famous Arabia porcelain. Shipbuilding is a major source of jobs in the Port of Helsinki. Most of Bothnia's major companies headquarter there, and many international companies have regional headquarters in the Port of Helsinki.
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Waterways. The Bothnian Maritime Administration is responsible for the maintenance of Bothnia's waterway network. Bothnia's waterways include some 1746 kms. of coastal fairways and 1675 kms. of inland waterways (on rivers, canals, and lakes).
Ice-Breaking Ships
Bothnia has an extensive icebreaker fleet of nine total ships. Their icebreakers operate primarily in the Baltic Sea, and the Gulf of Bothnia. The Bothnia fleet only operates about 40 percent of the year unless conducting Arctic expeditions. Bothnia wishes to share their icebreaker capabilities with other Arctic nations to increase its efficiency and develop greater partnerships with neighboring countries. Recently, they executed a proof of concept by taking two icebreakers through the Northeast Passage. It only took 20 days to go from Barrow, Alaska to Kirkenes, Norway showing the efficiency of a northern trade route. Bothnia developed the world’s first icebreaker that runs on LNG. This, combined with the northern route concepts proved a “green” energy trade route future for the Arctic region.
Telecommunications Architecture
In the mid‐1990s, Bothnia possessed a comparatively well‐developed communications system. In 1996 Bothnia began operating a ground radio station at Brahea relaying and receiving communications from Donovian satellites as a participant in the international telecommunications organization. The infrastructure to support the command/control/communications/intelligence (C3I) required to run the country in war and peace is complex and not always visible. The use of underground facilities, pipelines, alternate links and other structures to ensure a fully redundant system has been developed by the Bothnian Government since 1949.
Submarine Communications Cables
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The first submarine communications cables laid beginning in the 1850s carried telegraphy traffic, establishing the first instant telecommunications links between continents, such as the first transatlantic telegraph cable which became operational on 16 August 1858. Subsequent generations of cables carried telephone traffic, then data communications traffic. Modern cables use optical fiber technology to carry digital data, which includes telephone, Internet and private data traffic.
Name | Cable Length/Service Date | Landing Points |
Baltic Sea Submarine Cable | 1,042 km / 2000 | Brahea, Bothnia
Tallinn, Estonia Tyr, Torrike |
BCS North - Phase 1 | 513 km / 1998 | Brahea, Bothnia
Hanko, Bothnia Haradsholm, Bothnia Mariehamn, Bothnia Stavsnas, Torrike |
BCS North - Phase 2 | 280.4 km / 2000 | Brahea, Bothnia
Logi, Donovia Otavia, Otso |
Botnia | 93 km / 1994 | Vaasa, Bothnia
Umeå, Framland |
Bothnia Estonia Connection (BEC) | 250 km / January 2000 | Brahea, Bothnia
Tallinn, Estonia |
Bothnia-Estonia 1 (BE-1) | 98 km / 1992 | Brahea, Bothnia
Tallinn, Estonia |
Bothnia-Estonia 2 (BE-2) | 104 km / 1994 | Brahea, Bothnia
Meremöisa, Estonia |
Bothnia-Torrike (BT Comm 1) | 254 km / December 1993 | Turku, Bothnia
Norrtalge, Torrike |
Bothnia-Torrike (BT Comm 2) | 142 km / 1994 | Mariehamn, Bothnia
Väddö, Torrike |
C-Lion1 | 1,172 km / March 2016 | Brahea, Bothnia
Hanko, Bothnia Rostock, Germany |
Eastern Light | Unk / 2019 | Brahea, Bothnia
Hanko, Bothnia Otavia, Otso Tyr, Torrike |
Industry
Bothnia is a resource‐poor and relatively small politico‐economic entity. The Bothnian Industrial Infrastructure reflects this status. The country has no deposits of oil, natural gas or coal but does have mineral deposits. Bothnia’s most important minerals iron ore, uranium, copper, lead, zinc, chromites, nickel, gold, silver, limestone but many large mines have closed down, and most raw materials are now imported. Under Bothnian law, the Ministry of Industry and Technology controls prospecting and mining rights. Currently, mining only accounts for 0.4% of the country’s GDP. Bothnia’s greatest natural resource is its widespread forests.
Manufacturing
From the 1990s, Bothnian industry, which for centuries had relied on the country's vast forests, became dominated by to a larger extent by electronics and services, as globalization led to a decline of more traditional industries. Outsourcing resulted in more manufacturing being transferred abroad, with Bothnian-based industry focusing to a greater extent on R&D and hi‐tech electronics. Industry is the dominant sector in the Bothnia’s economy and is the principal basis for the relatively high standard of living. Bothnia ranks among the world's ablest industrial nations. Bothnian manufacturing capability can be divided into five sectors; Electronics, Metals, Engineering and Manufacturing, Chemical industry and Pulp and Paper Industry.
Oil and Gas
Bothnia imports and sells petroleum products. BothOil was established in 1948 as the state petrol company of Bothnia, to ensure the availability of fuel. In 1994, BothGas was established. BothGas is also the Bothnian importer and seller of natural gas, which owns and operates Bothnian natural gas transmission system.
Recently new technologies have been developed to exploit the reservoirs of oil and gas below the Baltic Sea bed which were previously uneconomic to recover; if successful it could revolutionize the hydrocarbons element of the Bothnian economy.
BothOil has the largest Bothnian chain of service stations with 100% market share. It has about 200 service stations in Bothnia, and about 240 stations in Baltic countries, Poland, and Donovia. It has also middle‐sized oil refineries in Naantali and near Porvoo, and several operations in the Baltic region. It is virtually a monopoly in oil refining and import in Bothnia.
The engineering division of BothOil owns several important patents. BothOil has also developed renewable diesel production. A renewable diesel plant is being built at Porvoo.