Russia to Build New Baltic Cargo Seaport and Transshipment Center
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.