RosMorRechFlot revives the northern project
New deep-water port is to be built near Archangelsk within 5-7 years. At the first stage the port’s annual capacity is to make 15-20 million tonnes of cargo with further increase to 50 million tonnes. Besides, new port will be capable of handling up to 30 million tonnes of fertilizers delivered from Berezniki and Solikamsk fields, as well as containers and liquid bulk cargo.
Everything old is new again
The idea to build a deep-water seaport in the Dry Sea bay of the White Sea was came to the Administration of the Archangelsk region long ago. However, there was neither project nor real financial possibilities. It was just a perspective plan approved by no one. Nevertheless, the value of such a project was estimated and it made RUR 1.8 billion. The construction was to be financed by the federal budget and investors. Speaking about the possibilities to build a new port, Vladimir Kochurov, deputy Director of the Transport and Communications Department of the Archangelsk region Administration, noted that “15 years flew from the moment the idea of Ust-Luga port construction was first discussed to the beginning of the project implementation. We are likely tosee the same”. According to Mr. Kochurov, such ports should be built by the state. “It is possible to find investors for the Baltic Sea projects, while it is a problem in the Northern regions especially as Archangelsk is a dead-end port. Nevertheless the idea should be discussed in view of perspective”. The Government may take decisions and include such a project into a target program proposed by the President, Mr. Kochurov thinks. In this case the financing may be provisioned by the federal budget.
Alexander Davydenko, Head of the Federal Agency of Marine and River Transport, said on Monday that “new up-to-date deep-water port should be built in the Archangelsk region”. According to Mr. Davydenko, the construction may take 5-7 years provided it is to be financed via the investment fund. He also said the port project is connected with the project on construction of a railway branch Belkomur. Feasibility study for construction of the port will be finalized in the third decade of September. “Of course, we a far from MurmanskKaliningrad but we will be able to compete with other Russian ports”, Vladimir Voikov, first deputy head of Archangelsk region Administration, said. and
Cargo attraction
The development of Shtokman field as well as other shelf gas and oil fields will contribute to the increase of the new port’s throughput. Besides, the Archangelsk region’s companies will manufacture specialized structures for the fields, thus resulting in large-scale cargo transshipment. Experts think the competition with the ice-free port of Murmansk will be not easy for the port of Archangelsk especially as it is planned to build a gas liquefaction plant in the Murmansk region, which is to raise cargo flow via the port of Murmansk. “Major dividends from the development of Shtokman field will be collected by the Murmansk region,” Nikolai Zhukov, deputy Director of regional Administration’s Industrial Department believes.
Today, the port of Archangelsk is not able to accept tankers with capacity exceeding 20,000-30,000 tonnes while the growth of cargo volume requires at least 60,000 tonnes. According to Mr. Davydenko, there is a possibility to build new terminals. He is sure once there is a port the cargo will come there. “There is an international economic law applicable to transport: supply breeds demand,” Mr. Davydenko says. “If there is no port no cargo will be delivered here.”