In early March, scientists from Bauman Moscow State Technical University in Russia proposed an innovative method to combat the thawing of permafrost. Egor Loktionov, the head of the laboratory, informed TASS that solar-powered heat pumps could be used to reinforce the thawing soil beneath winter roads and highways in the Far North. These devices will freeze the ground in problematic areas, preventing roadways from "spreading", operating autonomously. One might think such technology would be expensive — $1 mln per kilometer is certainly daunting, but not when compared to the cost of constructing a major road beyond the Arctic Circle. In the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, for instance, one kilometer of a major roadway would cost between $2.4 and $2.5 mln, added Loktionov. Even in its prime, unstable permafrost required careful and thoughtful management, but with the onset of climate change, it has become an incredibly fickle entity.

Meanwhile, there is a high demand for stable winter roads in the Far North. In the AZRF, only about 14% of roads are paved, and the total length of winter roads in Russia is approximately 175,000 km. In Yakutia, 60% of roads are built on frozen rivers and tundra, which are used to transport 80% of land cargo. Even if we were to assume that all of our country's resources will be directed solely towards the construction of major roads in the Arctic starting tomorrow, the construction process would take more than a couple of decades — it's a complex and labor-intensive task with no guaranteed success. The thawing tundra often presents construction workers with unexpected challenges that are simply impossible to overcome with current production capabilities. So, we have to rely on ground freezing technologies — by the end of the 21st century, the freeze-up period will decrease by 30-40%, which will proportionally affect the potential operation time of winter roads.

Similar technologies have also been implemented in urban planning. In Norilsk, an experimental technology for freezing the foundations of residential buildings has been implemented in recent years. The problem is identical to that faced by Arctic drivers — the thawing of permafrost leads to a breakdown in the structural integrity of buildings, causing them to crumble. Since it's impossible to construct a modern Norilsk-2 within a few years, engineers have proposed introducing a closed structure filled with refrigerant into the foundations of existing buildings. This refrigerant cools the ground to the necessary temperature, preventing it from thawing. Overall, this technology will be implemented in more than 50 buildings by 2035.

The issue of permafrost thawing is currently being tackled at both the Russian and international levels. Currently, Russian and Chinese scientists are planning to establish a system of research sites to study cryogenic processes in soils. Global climate change presents challenges to the entire international community, including countries without access to the Arctic Ocean. Since 2018, the Main State Laboratory of Engineering Geocryology of China and the P.I. Melnikov Institute of Permafrost have been supporting the International Research Center, which has conducted eight joint projects. From the Chinese side, more than RUB 100 mln have been invested in research implementation, and 10 professors from China have participated in creating a permafrost monitoring system in Yakutia, noted Mikhail Zheleznyak, director of the Institute of Permafrost Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Today, the Russian-Chinese center for permafrost research is considered one of the most promising in Asia. Last year, Mikhail Zheleznyak noted that three memorandums of cooperation were signed for the period 2024-2026, and research projects were initiated. Scientists from India have also repeatedly expressed their intention to participate in Arctic scientific projects.

Currently, cryotechnologies in polar construction are transitioning from theory to practice. In early March, the authorities of the YNAA announced the creation of an experimental road section on the Labytnangi — Kharp section, where soil thermal stabilizers will be used. So far, 54 devices have been installed, which will demonstrate their capabilities during the warm season. Meanwhile, permafrost researchers and officials at all levels are eagerly awaiting the results, as according to the 2019 data from the Ministry of Development of the Far East and the Arctic, permafrost degradation annually leads to a 40% deformation of the Far North's infrastructure, 23% of technical system failures, and 29% of losses during hydrocarbon extraction.