New international trade routes were discussed today at a specialized session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Murmansk Region Governor Andrei Chibis emphasized that at the International Arctic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a direct order to develop the Murmansk transport hub, one of the key hubs of the Northern Sea Route and the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor (TTK). This work will help turn the Murmansk Region into a powerful multimodal transport hub.

"At the International Arctic Forum, the President supported a set of decisions, including those developed within the framework of the work of the State Council Commission for the Development of the Arctic and the NSR, which I head. Detailed instructions from the head of state allow each Arctic region to solve its own problems, not compete, but jointly develop the Arctic. The topic of transport is extremely important, the development of the Transarctic Corridor is a global strategic project for the country, which will ensure national security and the development of the northern territories. It is important to make it profitable for participants, convenient and safe, with fast delivery of cargo, to create a modern port and logistics infrastructure along the entire route. With the right approaches and investments, we can attract private capital," commented Andrei Chibis. 

The head of the region recalled that Murmansk is a support port for the TTK, the gateway to the Northern Sea Route, and the leader in cargo turnover in the Arctic Basin: it accounts for more than half of the total transshipment volume in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation. Ice-free, with deep-water berths up to 15 meters, it can receive large-tonnage vessels all year round, providing direct access to the World Ocean. The Murmansk transport hub is an anchor project for the Transarctic Corridor. 

"The development of the MTU is extremely important for the entire system of ports in the Arctic Basin. Thanks to the support of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, in 2023 we launched traffic on a new railway line, in March of this year the President launched the operation of the Lavna port - the first one built under a port concession in the country. We connected the eastern and western shores of the Kola Bay by rail, which will double the volume of cargo transshipment. We are completing the construction of long-distance railway approaches, next year the projected carrying capacity will be 45 million tons by rail. The President instructed to increase the carrying capacity and capacity of the MTU by at least 3 times through the construction of new terminals and the expansion of railway crossings. All this will allow Murmansk to become a powerful logistics hub on the Third Transport Ring and will provide serious opportunities for shippers and recipients," the governor said. 

In particular, Andrey Chibis noted the growing interest in the Murmansk region in the field of container transportation, the reorientation of transit cargo from other countries and invited representatives of companies to cooperate. Thus, the region plans to implement a joint project for the transshipment of containers with Fesco, and is also preparing for a test call of a vessel from the Chinese company NewNew Shipping Line. 

"Another strategic anchor project is gasification, we have started working on the project with Gazprom. All this is a real industrial revolution on the territory of the Kola Peninsula," said the head of the region.

The modernization of port and transport facilities will also have a positive impact on the level of comfort of northerners, the governor said. 

"For residents, the expansion of port capacities on the western shore of the Kola Bay will allow coal transshipment to be transferred there, and in its place - in the Murmansk Commercial Sea Port - container transshipment will be carried out. All this is at the practical stage. That is, we are not only solving economic and infrastructure issues, but also improving the quality of life of our citizens. The Arctic Mortgage and the development of supporting agglomerations, supported by the President, also play a positive role in this," Andrei Chibis noted.

/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /

https://gov-murman.ru/info/news/548788/