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By 2011 it is planned to construct a seaport in Belomorsk for coal transhipment, - Minister of Economic Development of the Republic of Karelia Mikhail Yurinov has told during a briefing in the government of Karelia. The minister presentd the new project during the Future of the Russian Ports first international conference held on October 7 in St.-Petersburg. The project was also supported at the session of Presidium of the State Council, held in May 2007 in Murmansk where it was mentioned that growth of international cargo turn-over in the Russian Federation advances growth rates of trading capacities.
As Mikhail Yurinov has noted at the briefing, today Russian ports are producing at their maximum output, being overwhelmed by freight handling. Especially it concerns large ports, at which entrances freight trains are wasting a lot of time waiting for entrance permission. Significant amounts of world freight traffics move in circumvention of Russia, the Russian freight traffics keep going through foreign ports. Significant amount of coal in the Northwest is processed in ports of the neighbouring states.
The new project offered by the Karelian government and White Sea Port Joint-Stock Company as an investor, provides reforming of the old fish port and creation of a new seaport on its base. Realization of the first stage will allow to process up to 8 million tons of cargoes, the second - up to 15 million tons a year. In the beginning of the project implementation construction of two mooring berths for coal processing received from mines of Inta and Vorkuta is expected. The second stage of the project will concern constructions of several auxiliary mooring berths and container mooring berths for processing of current cargoes.
It is planned, that the port will be constructed within the scope of the partnership between the government and private company. Total amount of investments will make 9,5 billion roubles, 2,5 billion roubles of it will be allocated from the federal budget for the bottom dredging, the remained investments will be comprised by own and involved company's resources. Predesign is conducted at the momen. Government of Karelia and the White Sea Port Joint-Stock Company management negotiate with potential investors and cargo owners, prepare agreements on cooperation for the project implementation with Rosmorport FSUE. Issues regarding development of Belomorsk station and construction of new access roads to the seaport are coordinated with Octyabrskaya railway, arrangements with power engineering companies for electric-light service maintenance of the new enterprise have ben made. It is planned that construction of the port will start in the second six months of 2009. It is expected, that the first mooring berths will start up on the second year from the moment of construction completion. It is expected that the White Sea port will achieve its ultimate capacity by 2014-2015.
Minister of Economic Development of Karelia is assured, that Belomorsk region is very perspective for the port construction. It possesses direct and unlimited outlet to the northern seas and Atlantic ocean, and is located close to important transport units: Belomorsk railway station, St.Petersburg-Murmansk highway and the White Sea-Baltic channel. New prospects for development of a large transport unit in Belomorsk the ministry sees in development of Ledmozero - Kochkoma railway which connects the republic with the railway network of Finland, as well as in prospects of Belkomur highway construction. Further the White sea port might be able to provide the shortest outlet of cargoes from regions of the Ural Mountains, Kazakhstan, Siberia, and China to Northern Europe and back, as waterways connect the town of Belomorsk with the Barents, White, Caspian, Azov and Black seas. Thus, the Minister has noted, Belomorsk will restore the former status of 'the port of five seas'.
Besides, realization of the project will give a new impulse to development of the town and its area, and construction of the port will improve the labour market. At the new enterprise there will work 140 people. Besides, creation of the terminal will inevitably cause increase in number of workplaces in the zone of service, transport infrastructure and assiciated productions, - Mikhail Yurinov has noted.
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