There has been a special economic zone (SEZ) created in Russia named “Sovetskaya Gavan”, and another SEZ project is on the way for Murmansk region. It’s sad enough, but Sovetskaya Gavan is expected to be closed due to the lack of residents while the Murmansk region SEZ project may be cancelled, before it started taking its shape. Yet, the situation can changed in the next few months.

The Northern Sea Route is gradually developing. There have been 38 sailings year-to-date along the Arctic shortcut versus 34 for the entire shipping season of 2011. Now it’s time to think about creating its infrastructure - rescue centers, navigation stations and supply depots.

Russian and foreign investors’ joint projects of new shipyards in the Far East have been put on ice. Instead, United Shipbuilding Corporation said it would endeavor to implement a solely Russian project on the construction of large-tonnage shipbuilding in Bolshoy Kamen and of a new shipyard in the bay of Five Hunters.

Russia started to update its icebreaker fleet. It is estimated that the country will need 45 icebreakers by 2030 versus 32 vessels operating today. Meanwhile, by the time of the number only 14 will be in operation. Thus, in 18 years Russia will have to build 31 ice-breakers.

Oil terminal BPS-2 in the port of Ust-Luga has commenced handling oil products amid the protests of environmentalists and foreign observers. Another facility - Rosneftbunker terminal, which plans to handle light oil products, is also boosting the petroleum volumes. The growth in oil product traffic at Ust-Luga will affect neighboring ports. At the same time, the project payback period has increased.

Shtokman project has been frozen, as well as Prirazlomnoye field development, which also has shelved. At the same time, two Russian major companies - Gazprom and Rosneft have entered into a cooperation agreement for shelf deposits development. And analysts said Russia will never give up its offshore projects development.

Government and businesses of Kaliningrad region continue to press for the construction of a deep-sea container port, which would be specialized in the transshipment of transit containers shipped to Russia and compete with Gdansk-Gdynia and Klaipeda. Some experts in St. Petersburg and Ust-Luga said it would be better to open a short sea service and to drop plans on transits via Kaliningrad.

The offshore wind power development has had a significant impact on the shipbuilding industry in Europe, which is currently building seven offshore converter platforms. German, Danish and British shipyards are competing for customers of alternative energy solutions. Nordic Yards Russia head Vladimir Bazhenov told PortNews in a recent interview about the industry new direction and the capabilities of the company’s shipbuilding yards.