Investors for Arkhangelsk Port needed

A number of possible investors have been invited to take part in the project, considered vital for the development of shipping in Arkhangelsk Oblast. Investors from Estonia, Kazakhstan China and the Netherlands are all named as possible contributors to the project.

The new deep sea port is planned located 55 kilometers to the north of the city of Arkhangelsk in the area of Sukhaya Bay. It will be able to serve ships with a deadweight of up to 70,000 tons. The annual cargo turnover of the port is projected to constitute 30 million tons. The needed investments amount 30-50 billion RUB (800 million - 1,4 billion EUR). The share of state allocation will not exceed 30 percent. The rest is to be found among the private investors.

Port and railway

The new administration of Arkhangelsk oblast is strongly lobbying the project at all levels. It is also actively advocated by the Komi Republic and its governor Vladimir Torlopov, as well as the Governor of Perm Krai, Oleg Chirkunov. Both Komi Republic and Perm Kray are interested in the new port as a natural hub for the trunk-railway Belkomur, a projected railway line connecting the White Sea area with heavy industry in the Urals.

According to the governor, Prime Minister Putin supports the project. The Arkhangelsk regional administration plans to finish a technical and economic assessment report on the port construction shortly and then present an application on the establishment of a special economic zone in the port area.

Moscow positive

The attitude of the federal authorities towards the project can be characterized as first reluctantly positive but and then increasingly positive. Late last year, Minister of Transport Igor Levitin officially expressed support to the project saying that the new Arkhangelsk port is a necessity. At the same time he highlighted that the calculation of cargo must be studied more substantially and carefully before the process is brought further. A week ago the head of the Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport Alexander Davydenko also supported the construction of the new port and underlined particularly that it will positively contribute to the development of the Shtokman gas condensate field.

Another unexpected factor in favor of the port construction could become the recent events around Georgia and South Ossetia. Some Russian politicians believe the European Union, Turkey and the Ukraine take unilateral measures for restraining Russian seaports development in the Baltic and the Black sea. Under such conditions the development of northern ports of Russia should be urgently put on the agenda.

Regions join forces

Meanwhile regional authorities in the Komi Republic, Perm Krai and Arkhangelsk oblast have announced that an agreement on interaction and cooperation on industrial and infrastructural development is to be signed next week in Sochi. The agreement will be signed together with the Industrial Design Company Transstroy and the Interregional Investments company “Severo-Zapad Prikamje”. The representative of Transstroy announced that the construction of Belkomur and new deepwater seaport in Arkhangelsk are included in the program. Mikhalchuk, Torlopov and Chirkunov are going to take part in the event.

The construction of Belkomur is planned to be started in 2016 and completed within 5-6 years. The new port can be constructed in the course of two years. It can provide up to 9000 new jobs in the port and adjacent areas and bring up to 1 billion RUB of annual taxes in the budgets of all levels. The Interregional Investments company “Severo-Zapad Prikamje” was established by the regional administrations of Arkhangelsk, Komi, Perm and a number of private companies. In July this year the company presented all documents to the Federal Ministry of Transport including private investments guarantees. After that the issue should be studied in the commission of the federal investments fund.

BarentsObserver Arkhangelsk