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News from Murmansk

Heiner Kubny 1. September 2020 | Economy, Politics, Tourism
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov and Andrey Chibis, the governor of Murmansk, at the conference in Moscow. (Photo: gov-murman.ru)

Military land on the coast of the Kola Peninsula could become the location for a new Arctic container port. Andrej Chibis , the Governor of Murmansk calls on the Ministry of Defence to release land for a planned large Arctic terminal. In addition, new rental apartments are intended to make the area more attractive for new residents and to improve the infrastructure for tourism in Teriberka.

On the Kola Peninsula, a lot is to change, when it comes to the governor of Murmansk (Photo: Heiner Kubny/Google)

“In the Murmansk region, there is land owned by the Ministry of Defence that is not being used,” Chibis said in a commentary on social media after his meeting in Moscow. “We have agreed with the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Timur Ivanov that we will carry out a common land inventory. For example, RUSATOM KARGO is ready to work with us to build a modern port hub to improve the infrastructure for maritime container terminals,” the governor added. Timur Ivanov also supported the governor’s proposal to build residential buildings on the Arctic Circle, which would be made available under a company lease agreement. “Corporate rents can become one of the factors for the revival of the housing sector in the Murmansk region, providing modern housing for military personnel and their families. The issue will be worked out in cooperation with representatives of the Northern Fleet Command. The towns of Alakurtti, Pechenga, Sputnik and ZATO Severomorsk are considered priority areas for housing,” Andrey Chibis said during the meeting. ZATO stands for ‘closed city’. There are prohibitions or restrictions on access to foreigners and Russian citizens. Chibis also wants to provide land for the implementation of a tourist project for the development of Teriberka.

In Teriberka, on the Kola Peninsula, the infrastructure for tourist activities is to be promoted and improved.

Arctic shipping

During the work meeting, Andrey Chibis and Timur Ivanov discussed the most urgent issues of cross-departmental cooperation, the solution of which would make it possible to quickly create conditions for the development of settlements in the Arctic. One of the projects highlighted by Chibis is the construction of a container terminal for Arctic cargo. “For example, Rusatom Cargo is ready to build a modern seaport hub here with infrastructure for shipping containers,” Chibis said at the meeting. Once the land issue has been resolved, construction can be pushed forward, the governor made clear.

It is not yet clear where the new container terminal will be built. There are other locations in the Barents Sea in discussion.

Great potential

According to Rusatom Cargo, a subsidiary of the state-owned nuclear power plant operator Rosatom, there is great potential for the construction of a new port facility. Two terminals and up to 30 container ships with an ice class could be built as part of the so-called “Northern Sea Transport Corridor project”, the company argues. It is not clear where the planned container terminal will be located on the Kola Peninsula. The current construction of a railway line along the west coast of Kola Bay could allow the development of a terminal in this area.

Growing interest

As sea ice retreats at high speed on the Northern Sea Route, the interest of shipping companies in transportation through the Arctic is growing. Logistics developers have also been working for several years in Kirkenes, the Norwegian border town, on the construction of a container terminal for transport between Asia and Europe.

Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal

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