On the possibility of extending the service life of winter roads using renewable energy sources

It is hard to overestimate the role of winter roads in the land logistics of the northern regions. In recent years, climate change has not only significantly reduced the service life of winter roads, but also made them less predictable. This forces transportation to increase in intensity, often at the expense of safety, or to stop that suddenly, leaving vehicles and equipment unused for long periods and disrupting project deadlines. Therefore, extending the service life of winter roads and reducing dependence on local weather conditions is a very urgent task. To solve it, we considered the possibility of applying our previously proposed method of thermal stabilization of frozen ground using solar panels and heat pumps, and estimated the associated costs. Our calculations have shown that it is possible to extend significantly the service life of unpaved winter roads, up to year-round use, in the case of using the most lightweight road pavement without creating a cushion. The approach can contribute to solving a whole range of problems of sustainable development of the Russian Arctic territories by creating transport and energy corridors.