Port alternative for Archangelsk
One of the most significant projects on development of Russia’s port infrastructure is under implementation in Archangelsk region today. The regional Administration plans to build a new deep-water port at Mudjug island in the White Sea. According to the conception, the port will be capable of handling 30 million tonnes of cargo per year with the ability to accept 100,000-dwt vessels. In the future, the port’s capacity is planned to be raised to 50 million tonnes.
Project launch
Until recently the project on port construction was just a plan. However, at VII Investment Forum, in Sochi, the Director General of Design-and-Construction Company Transstroi, Yuri Reiljan and the Director General of International Investment Company North-West-Prikamje, Yuri Demochkin, signed an agreement on designing and construction of Belkomur railway and deep-sea port in Archangelsk. The two companies plan to create joint ventures to implement the projects included into the complex program.
New deep-sea port in Archangelsk is considered to be a part of the Northern Sea Route. The port will annually handle 28 million tonnes of cargo with a possibility to reach 50 million tonnes in the future and to handle 100,000-dwt vessels. According to the plan, approach railway to the port will be 55 km long. 45-kilometer highway will runparallel to it. Investments are to total RUR 31 bln including RUR 5 bln from the state budget to be spent for the canal construction.
New port nea Archangelsk is t specialize in handling of containers and loose bulk as well as in support of Northern oil-and-gas field operation.
Tied-in with Belkomur
Experts say one of the problems in terms of the project implementation is lack of railway and highway approaches. The Archangelsk region has a geographical advantage being located at the place where the river and the sea meet. However, the development of the sea and river transport infrastructure is an urgent issue as well.
As PortNews IAA learnt from Sergei Semenov, Development Director of the scientific-and-production enterprise MorStroiTekhnologia, the project on construction of the new port should be considered in connection with construction of Belkomur railway (White Sea – Komi - Urals), which is to ensure cargo flow to the port and to link Urals and Siberia with the ports of the North-West region without crossing Russia’s central region thus cutting the route. “In this case Archangelsk could compete with St. Petersburg as regards transportation of certain goods as the route length will be similar to that of the port of St. Petersburg,” Mr. Semenov tells. Without Belkomur cargo is to be delivered to Moscow and then to Archangelsk.
The implementation of the Belkomur project will reduce the distance of transportation from Siberia to the White Sea ports by 800 km, hence the cost is to decrease as well. Construction of the railway branch is valued at some RUR 100 bln. The procedure of application to the RF Investment Fund for financing of Belkomur project development is near completion. Document developmentcost some RUR 150 mln. Construction of Belkomur railway is included into the Strategy of Russia’s Railway Transport Development till 2030.
As Sergei Yarkoyev, head of Rating Agency AK&M, commented on advantages of the project, Urals will have closer links with the Central Russia, Komi and Archangelsk region which has certain infrastructure problems today. “It is an extra cheap commercial route. Apart from this, oil and gas regions will get a strong link with food, goods and equipment suppliers,” Mr. Yarkoyev thinks.