On 9 September 2021, Andrey Belousov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation held a meeting dedicated to implementation of a project on comprehensive development of Murmansk Transport Hub (MTH). Despite some challenges, railway traffic on the Vykhodnoy-Lavna section and Lavna terminal will be launched in December 2023, says press center of RF Government.
An updated roadmap for MTH development is to Andrey Belousov within a couple of days.
Port Infrastructure Development Center JSC (PIDC) has confirmed its readiness to provide cargo base of 18 million tonnes from 2024 for $7.5 per tonne. A take-or-pay contract was signed by PIDC JSC and Cemmercial Sea Port “Lavna” LLC on 10 August 2021. The cargo base will include own resources of PIDC and those of MC Sibanthracite, Stroiservis JSC, Telf AG and EP Resources AG, which signed supply contracts with PIDC.
Andrey Belousov drew the meeting participants’ attention to the need to intensify the control of the project implementation. Meetings on implementation of MTH development will be now held once a quarter.
Among the meeting participant were Murmansk Region Governor Andrey Chibis, representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Economic Development, Russian Railways, STLC and shippers.
Lavna project is a part of Murmansk Transport Hub project. It is included in the Comprehensive Plan for Modernization and Expansion of Main Infrastructure (CPMI) till 2024, Transport Strategy of the Russian Federation and Federal Targeted Programme “Development of Russia’s Transport System”.
The terms of the concession agreement for financing of Lavna port construction were approved by RF Government on 1 October 2018. The concession agreement provides for construction of a coal terminal, development of the existing railway infrastructure on the eastern coast of the Kola Bay and construction of new railway infrastructure of the western coast.
Coal transshipment facility Lavna will be one of the most advanced sea terminals in the country. The project provides for introduction of a special technology allowing for minimization of impact on the environment. The port will have a closed conveyor, an aspiration system and a dust suppression system at all transfer points as well as a water sprinkling system at the coal storage yard.
A deep-water berth of 660 meters in length will be able to accommodate two large bulk carriers with deadweight of 20 to 150,000 tonnes. The Kola Bay is ice fee round the year, so the terminal will operate in all seasons without involvement of icebreakers.
Investments into MTH project exceed RUB 130 billion with investments into Lavna project estimated at RUB 34 billion.