Passenger Port of Saint-Petersburg «Marine Façade» is set to launch passenger ferry link between Saint-Petersburg and Kotka by 2017. According to IAA PortNews correspondent, an agreement on cooperation between Marine Façade PLC, HaminaKotka Oy and Cursor Oy (developer) was signed on December 9, 2015, in Kotka (Finland) in the presence of Kotka Mayor Henry Lindelöf.
The agreement was signed within the framework of the cross-border cooperation programme “South-East Finland – Russia 2014-2020”.
Expected passenger traffic – 150,000 persons per year.
Having signed his agreement Marine Façade can apply for a EUR 2.5 mln grant from EU for reconstruction of RF border check point in order to change its classification from passenger to freight and passenger by 2017.
“It is one of the first examples of a transport company in the North-West region of Russia to expect EU financing. The documents are currently under construction of the EC in Brussels. This agreement is the last document required,” says Serik Zhusupov, head of Passenger Port of Saint-Petersburg “Marine Façade”.
He hopes for the decision to be made in Quarter I’2016.
According to Serik Zhusupov, no operators of cruise and ferry lines have been defined yet but the negotiations are in progress.
Under the agreement, the Finnish side will develop international passenger transportation via Kotka Kantasatama terminal.
“We are going to develop Kotka terminal. We also take part in other projects with international financing aimed at passenger ferry links development,” said Kotka Mayor Henry Lindelöf. According to him, those projects are estimated at tens of millions of euro. “The depth and the fairway is sufficient to accept ferries and large cruise ships,” he said. The Mayor also added that negotiations with Kotka-Petersburg line operator will commence after the project financing is approved.
Passenger Port of Saint-Petersburg «Marine Façade» PLC is in the ownership of the city of St. Petersburg and is the largest passenger seaport in Russia. Construction of Marine Façade began in 2006. The port can accommodate cruise and ferry ships of up to 330 m long and with a draft of up to 8.8 m. The length and depth of new access channels - 10 km and 11 m, accordingly. The port operates seven piers. The quay-side length – 2,171.06 m.