Construction of deepwater port in Kaliningrad region to commence in 2015
The construction of a deepwater port in the Kaliningrad region is to be started in 2015, Victor Olersky, Deputy Transport Minister of the Russian Federation, is cited by the press center of the Kaliningrad region government as saying at the meeting with the region Governor Nikolay Tsukanov.
“We are all realistic and we understand that the port should be build phase-by-phase,” Victor Olersky said. – Phase-by-phase approach is dictated by the territory development works.” According to the Deputy Minister, investment feasibility study will be held this year, design works – in 2014, while the port construction will commence in 2015. Simultaneously, customs administration should be improved in order to attract companies operating not only in the Kaliningrad region, Victor Olersky said.
The work on the project implementation will be speeded through synchronization of the federal structures’ and investor’s activities.
Victor Olersky underlined that participation of an investor is necessary for this project: “As it is a common practice in the Russian Federation, the state builds the infrastructure (canal, water area, protective structures, sometimes berths). The rest is for investor”, says Victor Olersky.
“Investors will appear as soon as we announce that a deepwater port is to be really built in the Kaliningrad region,” states the Governor. One of the potential investors is Rosneft OJSC, the negotiations are in progress.
The discussion concerning the necessity to build a deepwater port in the Kaliningrad region started long time ago. Different locations were proposed. One of the latest proposals, Balgi area, has been included into the federal special-purpose programme (FSPP).
At the meeting, Victor Olersky and Nikolay Tsukanov said that the FSPP will be amended – the facilities are to be built at Primorskaya Bay or near Yantarny. The final decision on the construction site will be made after the expertise. FSPP covering the period till 2020 envisages financing of the project to the amount of RUB 18 bln.
Apart from this, another port, a passenger one, is to be built near Pionersky.
“Stevedores already have cargoes they would like to transship via a deepwater port in our region,” the Governor said.
The construction of a deepwater port within the framework of the federal special-purpose programme is one of the key infrastructure projects included into the state Programme on social and economic development of the Kaliningrad region. Ice-free deepwater port capable of handling large capacity vessels could compete with the ports of the Baltic states.
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