Port Bronka construction to facilitate Big Port St. Pb development, official says
The outer harbor Bronka construction will boost the freight volume at Big Port St. Petersburg, the St. Petersburg Gov. Georgy Poltavchenko.
The official speaking at a meeting of the APEC transport ministers in St. Petersburg said that by 2015 the port will be able to handle as much as 93 million tons a year and by 2025 - 140.5 million tons.
Mr. Portavchenko also noted that the completion of the Western High Speed Diameter (WHSD) will enable the shift to this toll highway all the transit traffic due to the port. The official noted that currently about 55% of all container shipped to Russia are passing through Big Port St. Petersburg.
The outer harbor Bronka is being built on the southern coast of the Finland Gulf, in the area of junction of the dam with the ring road to the city of Lomonosov.
The marine multifunctional complex Bronka (MMPK Bronka) will comprise three specialized facilities: a container terminal encompassing 107 hectares, Ro-Ro terminal of 57 ha and logistics center of 42 ha. Container terminal will feature the 1.175 m-long waterfront (including 5 berths). The waterfront of rolling cargo terminal will be 630 meters (3 berths).
Bronka first phase capacity is projected at 1.45 million TEUs and 260,000 units of Ro-Ro cargoes. The facility’s container throughput is planned to be increased to 1.9 million TEUs. The Bronka Multipurpose Complex will be able to handle Panamax containerships and the ferries of Finnstar class. The first ship call is expected in 2014.
Private investors are expected to inject nearly RUB 43.7 billion in the project with the Russian Government investment at some RUB 15.2 billion.
The Bronka project will help create over 2,300 new jobs. Upon completion of the outer harbor facilities annual direct tax payments to the budget of St. Petersburg will be at RUB 1.7 billion (plus indirect tax – RUB 5.1 bn), the federal budget will get RUB 2.0 billion a year (RUB 5.9bn).
A fully-owned subsidiary of JSC Holding Company "Forum" Phoenix Ltd. was founded in 2007 specifically for the construction of Bronka multifunctional marine cargo handling complex to be located in the new Cargo Area of the Big Port St. Petersburg. The project is supported by the Russian Ministry of Transport and the St. Petersburg City Administration.
Port of St. Petersburg is located on the islands of the delta of the Neva river, in the Neva Bay, the eastern tip of the Gulf of Finland. The Big Port St. Petersburg territory includes the Neva River delta and the Neva Bay, Kronstadt and dam structures protecting the city from floods. A fleet of icebreakers provide icebreaking assistance to merchant ships during winter navigation. There are 30 stevedore companies operating at the port. In 2011, cargo throughput at the port rose 3% year-over-year to 59,989,300 tons.