中國俊安集團將接管格陵蘭Isua鐵礦項目
A Chinese mining company is taking over a planned $2bn iron ore project in Greenland, making it the first Arctic resources project to come under the full ownership of the Asian power.
一家中國礦業公司將要接管格陵蘭一個計劃中的20億美元鐵礦石項目，使之成爲這個亞洲大國全資擁有的首個北極資源項目。General Nice, one of China’s largest coal and iron ore importers, will run the Isua mine, following a move to put its previous owner, London Mining, into administration, according to the Greenland government.
據格陵蘭政府介紹，中國最大的煤炭和鐵礦石進口商之一俊安集團(General Nice)將管理Isua礦，該礦的前主人倫敦礦業(London Mining)已進入破產管理程序。However, the involvement of a Chinese investor — even a private company — could raise alarm across the Arctic and in the US, which remains wary of Beijing’s Arctic ambitions. Plans by a Chinese property developer to buy a large remote tract of land in Iceland several years ago prompted great unease among regional diplomats.
然而，中國投資者（哪怕是一家民營企業）的參與，可能在整個北極地區以及美國拉響警報；美國仍對中國的北極雄心十分警惕。幾年前，中國一家房地產開發商購買冰島大片土地的計劃，曾引發地區外交官的極大不安。
Chinese groups are already active in the Arctic. Some are helping to fund and build Russia’s Yamal liquefied natural gas project — a venture in which oil company CNPC has a minority stake. Cnooc, another Chinese oil company, has a licence with a local partner to explore for oil off Iceland.
中資集團在北極地區已經十分活躍。有些集團正參與俄羅斯亞馬爾液化天然氣項目的出資和建設——中國石油天然氣集團公司(CNPC)擁有該項目的少數股權。中海油(Cnooc)則持有與當地合作伙伴在冰島海域勘探石油的許可證。Rising temperatures have made parts of the Arctic more accessible, raising China’s interest in oil and mineral projects there — and the possibility of a sea route to Europe to the north of Russia. In 2013 China became a permanent observer at the Arctic Council, the region’s decision-making body.
氣溫上升已使北極部分地區變得更容易進入，這提高了中國對這些地區石油和礦產項目的興趣——還帶來了沿着俄羅斯北方海岸線開通歐洲海上航線的可能性。2013年中國成爲北極地區決策機構——北極理事會(Arctic Council)的常設觀察員。For Greenland and its government, Isua is an important part of a plan to exploit mineral wealth and secure full independence from Denmark. But there are still doubts over the viability of the project.
對於格陵蘭島及其政府而言，Isua是開採礦產資源、爭取從丹麥完全獨立的計劃的重要組成部分。但是，人們對於該項目的可行性仍有疑慮。
London Mining estimated last year that operating costs would be $45 per tonne, while shipping to China would cost an extra $37 per tonne. Iron ore prices are only $70 per tonne, however, having halved last year as miners ramped up output and demand from China fell.
倫敦礦業去年估計，Isua礦的運營成本將達到每噸45美元，而運至中國的航運費將爲每噸37美元。然而，目前鐵礦石價格只有每噸70美元。去年鐵礦石價格下滑一半，原因是各家礦商加大產出，而來自中國的需求下降。Even at higher prices, Isua is ambitious, with construction set to take more than three years. Although the iron ore reserves there are “beautiful”, according to one executive familiar with the deposit, extracting them will be challenging because they lie under a thick layer of ice. London Mining had planned to pipe slurry out of the mine, a process that is made more difficult by the cold.
即使鐵礦石價格處於較高水平，Isua項目仍是雄心勃勃的，施工時間需要超過三年。雖然據一名熟悉該礦的高管表示，那裏的鐵礦石儲量堪稱“美麗”，但採掘這些鐵礦石將是具有挑戰性的，因爲它們埋藏在厚厚的冰下。倫敦礦業曾計劃通過管道從該礦抽取鐵礦漿，但寒冷加大了這種技術的難度。Executives at General Nice operations at the port of Tianjin could not be reached for comment at the weekend. An executive at its Hong Kong-listed unit said he was not aware of details of the project.
記者在週末無法聯繫上俊安集團天津港業務的高管請其置評。該公司香港上市子公司的一位高管表示，他不瞭解該項目的詳情。The company owns iron ore mines in Russia and South Africa, and a copper mine in Australia.
該公司在俄羅斯和南非擁有鐵礦，在澳大利亞擁有一個銅礦。London Mining fell into administration in October after the tumbling price of iron ore put pressure on the indebted miner. Operations at its sole mine, in Sierra Leone, were made complex by the Ebola virus in the west African country and that mine has been sold.
倫敦礦業在去年10月被迫進入破產管理程序，鐵礦石價格大幅下跌，給這家債務沉重的礦商帶來了巨大壓力。該公司旗下唯一的鐵礦位於塞拉利昂，這個西非國家的埃博拉疫情給鐵礦作業帶來複雜性，該礦現在已被出售。
