"Murmansk can become the main container hub in the Arctic if the appropriate infrastructure is provided": this was stated by Governor Andrei Chibis during the session "Northern Sea Route: Expanding Arctic Horizons", held today at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The 

participants in the discussion were Adviser to the President of Russia Igor Levitin, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Alexey Chekunkov, Special Representative for Arctic Development of the Rosatom State Corporation Vladimir Panov, heads of Arctic regions, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Viktor Yevtukhov, Chairman and CEO of DP World Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO of China Freight Forwarding Company Ke Jin, Rector of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University Mikhail Gordin.

The head of the region emphasized that the Northern Sea Route is the most important logistics route for Russia and the whole world, a powerful growth point for the Murmansk Region. 

"Murmansk is the base port of the NSR. Cargo turnover by the end of 2023 amounted to 58 million tons. An increase of almost 3% compared to the previous year. The port is deep-water and ice-free - we work all year round. It is among the five largest in Russia. We are working together with the Russian government and companies on the task set by President Vladimir Putin to increase the capacity of the Murmansk port to 110 million tons per year. One of the key projects is the Murmansk transport hub: the Lavna port is being built, we are increasing the carrying capacity of the railway line," Andrey Chibis emphasized. 

The Governor recalled that last year the President opened traffic on the railway under construction to the western shore of the Kola Bay.

"This is almost 50 kilometers of the railway line. Today, the port of Murmansk, transshipment is mainly concentrated on the eastern shore of the bay. We are essentially opening up a second line of the berthing front. By the end of this year, taking into account the new railway, 45 million tons will be able to be delivered to us, and then the goal is to double it to 110 million tons. As part of the new national project, we are working to ensure that all long-distance approaches, the entire railway infrastructure gradually provide us with a locomotive of exactly this volume of cargo. Everything related to port infrastructure is actively developing. The port of Lavna is the first new port in the Murmansk region since the Soviet Union, which will operate on the western shore of the Kola Bay, where the new railway goes. This is 18 million tons, we plan that it will start operating this year," the governor said. 

Andrei Chibis noted that another main strategic project supported by the President has moved to practical implementation - gasification of the Murmansk region.

"In the long term, this is not only a reduction in utility bills for the population and an improvement in the environmental component, this is a radical increase in production volumes in the Murmansk region and the entire Arctic. The Murmansk LNG project was approved by the President's decision. We already have a unique competence center for the production of floating gas liquefaction plants of the NOVATEK company, a high-class, technological one, and now these plants will produce liquefied natural gas in the Murmansk region, this is also an additional load on the NSR. Also, the cargo will include everything that we produce in the region with the richest natural resources," the governor listed.

The head of the region also recalled that the implementation of the Western Transport and Logistics Hub container terminal project has started in the region. 

"Murmansk can become the main container hub in the Arctic. This is what we are currently actively working on with investors. This requires infrastructure, but the first projects with a fairly large volume of cargo handling are already being implemented. “In addition, we are working with colleagues to develop everything related to servicing offshore projects,” Andrey Chibis said. The governor named the development of a ship repair complex in the Murmansk Region as a separate growth point, which will allow servicing ships based here, including icebreakers.

Andrey Chibis emphasized that the Northern Sea Route opens up serious economic and logistical prospects for the Arctic regions, and also gives a powerful impetus to improving the quality of life, the emergence of highly paid jobs in various fields. According to the governor, the most important area of ​​work for the regional government is the intensification of training of professional personnel for these large-scale projects. 

“This is not only about competencies, but about the comprehensive development of conditions and infrastructure for living and working in the Arctic, and, of course, in the Murmansk Region. We are doing everything to ensure that the plans formulated by the President and the Government are fully implemented. Our people are certainly interested in this,” the head of the region noted in conclusion.

/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /