April 7, 2021
Vladimir Uyba, the head of Komi Republic took part in a meeting on the organization of regular container shipping lines and coastal transportation on sea route connecting St. Petersburg with Vladivostok. The meeting was chaired by Yuri Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.
For Republic of Komi, the organization of container traffic via the Northern Sea Route (NSR) is an extremely important area of activities that can give a new impetus to the development of the region’s economy and help dramatically increase its industrial potential, the press service of the head of the region reports.
In the summer of 2020, the Republic became the first constituent entity of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation to proactively assist “Rusatom Cargo” in analyzing the potential for the formation of a “return cargo base” necessary to achieve a commercial effectiveness of the NSR.
Local timber (woodworking) industry has especially significant potential for container transportation to Asia-Pacific markets. The region’s own mineral resource base (oil, gas, coal, bauxite, titanium, mining materials), as well as the products of the pulp /paper and polymer industries also have a high potential for transportation via the NSR.
Initial assessment shows that Komi has the potential to create at least 10% of the total volume of the NSR return cargo base (excluding transit).
At the same time, for the export of this cargo base, it is necessary to expand transport links to approach the ports of the NSR. For the Komi Republic, the basic infrastructure projects for the expansion of such transport corridors are the Northern Latitudinal Land Route, the “Barentskomur” railway project and the construction of the “Indiga” seaport. Currently, work is underway to create an Arctic medical cluster in accordance with international standards on the territory of Vorkuta Town to serve the crews and passengers of ships passing the NSR.