Russian officials have signed agreements to develop a
massive new port complex, which they report will be the largest investment
project on the Baltic Coast within the Russian Federation. When completed, the
transshipment terminal and port complex located at Primorsky at the eastern
side of the Gulf of Finland near St. Petersburg will have a capacity equal to
20 percent of the annual total cargo volumes of the Russian seaports in the
Baltic.
Russia’s federal agency FSUE Rosmorport and Primorsky
Universal Transshipment Complex signed the agreement for the construction of
the new port facility as part of a larger overall development of the region.
Currently, Primorsky Port located at the termination of the Baltic Pipeline is
the largest Russian oil loading port in the Baltic. In 2019, Primorsky handled
over 61 million tons of cargo, with oil making up about 20 percent of overall
volume.
In announcing their plans for the development of the port,
FSUE highlighted that the port complex is an important strategic facility. It
will be used for reorienting Russian foreign trade cargo from the seaports of
the Baltic States and developing the potential for Russian exports.
The Primorsky universal transshipment complex will be the
first deep-water port complex in the Baltic basin capable of handling
large-tonnage vessels. It will be capable of handling bulk and general cargo
vessels 150,000 tons and Ro-Ros and container vessels with a capacity of up to
2000,000 tons. When the full design capacity is reached by 2030, the volume of
the cargo at Primorsky UPK will be up to 65 million tons per year.
The seaport will use new systems for loading, storage, and
transshipment of bulk cargo. Among the designs will be elements that exclude
the negative impact on the environment. Dusting and noise impacts will be
eliminated. The seaport will also be able to have full digitalization and
optimization in the transshipment processes management.
Primorsky UPK is part of a large-scale infrastructure
project that includes a port complex, a new high-speed four-lane highway, and a
modern high-speed railway infrastructure. As part of the construction effort
working with the railroad, they expect to complete a regional bypass and the
construction of a North-Eastern railway bypass of St. Petersburg to speed the
movement of cargo.
The development will also include a new residential area
with a capacity of up to 12,000 people. The residential area will include
social, public, and business areas, as well as the engineering and transport
infrastructure.
The construction of the port complex is planned to have been
finished by December 2024. In 2025, a trial operation of the terminals will be
carried out as they expect to begin building cargo volumes.