The transportation and storage of fuel in the Arctic has long been a challenge for engineers, materials scientists and chemists, with environmentalists joining the fray over the past few decades. The operation of remote settlements, weather stations, research and military outposts beyond the Arctic Circle heavily relies on the supply of fuel and lubricants, primarily diesel. It fuels power generation facilities, powers machinery and is universally needed at all times. During the Soviet era, fuel was predominantly transported in metal barrels, which have now become a symbol of human activity in the Arctic. Today, these barrels are collected by volunteers as part of numerous initiatives to clean up the Russian Arctic from years of human-made waste. However, since the demand for fuel remains, it seems inevitable that more metal mountains will appear. At this point, engineers step in, proposing various solutions for storing fuel in the harsh Arctic climate.

In 2022, researchers from Omsk State Technical University (OmSTU) introduced a new polymer composite material that could potentially replace metal for barrels. This material exhibits high resistance to extreme cold, is inert when in contact with fuel and can be easily disposed of onsite. The specialists proposed two solutions — a portable crusher and incineration. In the first scenario, the device grinds the barrel into fine chips that can be effectively compacted. A standard two-hundred-litre polymer barrel can accommodate between 30 to 90 of its counterparts. The second approach involves compressing the chips into fuel blocks, which are then burned in a furnace for heating purposes. To prevent the pollution of nature with combustion products of high-tech materials, it is planned to introduce catalysts that decompose toxic elements, significantly reducing their environmental impact.

For nearly a decade, oil companies and the military have been using the second option to create mobile field storage facilities for fuel and lubricants. These are flexible 'cushions' made from durable fabric, coated on both sides with a gasoline-resistant polyurethane layer. They are manufactured in sizes ranging from 1 to 500 m³, catering to a wide variety of needs. Each tank is equipped with all necessary valves, drainage systems and access hatches for inspection and maintenance. When folded, they are quite compact — a flexible PER-N tank with a volume of 250 m³ takes up only 1 cu m in a truck and weighs around 480 kg.

However, such mobility is not required for civilians in the Arctic. For them, stationary tanks are produced that can withstand the harsh northern temperatures. For instance, Sakhaenergo's production shop reported the manufacture of 14 such units last year. Despite their apparent simplicity, many intricate details in Arctic diesel storage facilities determine the production time. Frost-resistant steel, double walls, precise welding of elements and the incorporation of heating elements are all necessary to prevent diesel from turning into a murky 'compote' with paraffin crumbs at –50°C. 

The average production time for one such tank ranges from 4 to 5 weeks, followed by mandatory certification and documentation procedures. Supplying remote settlements with such tanks will eliminate the need for 'individual' fuel containers — it's much more convenient to receive diesel from a ship's tank via a hose than to spend several days unloading dozens of barrels.