Greenland and Nunavut are establishing an Arctic port network

by Heiner Kubny
10/27/2026
The Port of Nuuk is Greenland’s most important commercial port and is set to become the central hub for closer maritime cooperation with Nunavut. Together with planned deep-water ports in Qikiqtarjuaq and Grays Bay, a new Arctic port network could emerge. (Photo: Quintin Soloviev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

Greenland and the Canadian territory of Nunavut intend to significantly expand their maritime cooperation. The Port of Nuuk and the operators of two planned deep-water ports in Nunavut have signed a cooperation agreement to this end.

The agreement was announced in Nuuk on 31 August 2026. The parties involved are Sikuki Nuuk Harbour, Qikiqtaaluk AEDC with the planned deep-water port at Qikiqtarjuaq, and West Kitikmeot Resources with the Grays Bay Road and Port Project.

The partners intend to exchange expertise on the construction and operation of Arctic ports and to collaborate more closely on emergency response, ship supply, supply chains, infrastructure and environmental protection. Joint support for vessels between Nunavut and Greenland is also to be explored.

Rendering of the planned Grays Bay deep-water port in western Nunavut. The port on Coronation Gulf is to be linked to the interior via a road approximately 230 kilometres long that is passable all year round. (Rendering: West Kitikmeot Resources Corp.)

Nuuk as an existing hub

The port of Nuuk is already Greenland’s most important commercial port and is currently being expanded. By the end of 2028, 350 metres of new quay facilities are to be built, including a terminal for fishing vessels and a quay that can also be used by Danish naval units.

The Grays Bay Road and Port Project envisages a deep-water port on Coronation Gulf and a year-round road approximately 230 kilometres long leading inland. This is intended to improve the Kitikmeot region’s connections to maritime transport routes. (Map: PolarJournal)

On the Canadian side, the two partner ports are still at the planning stage. The deep-water port at Qikiqtarjuaq on Baffin Island is intended to accommodate, amongst others, supply vessels, fishing vessels and cruise ships, as well as Canadian Coast Guard vessels. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027.

The Grays Bay Road and Port Project in western Nunavut connects a deep-water port on Coronation Gulf with a road stretching approximately 230 kilometres inland. This could open up new transport routes for raw materials from the Kitikmeot region.

New link across the Arctic

Greenland and Nunavut have been linked for centuries through the cultural and family ties of the Inuit. Now, economic and maritime ties are also set to become closer.

The Royal Arctic Line’s container ship Naja Arctica enters the port of Nuuk. In future, the port is set to work more closely with the planned deep-water ports in Nunavut. (Photo: Quintin Soloviev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

In the long term, Nuuk, Qikiqtarjuaq and Grays Bay could form a port network linking key waterways between Greenland, Baffin Bay and the Northwest Passage. For now, the agreement is primarily a framework for cooperation, but it could lay the foundations for a new maritime link between Greenland and Canada.

Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal