The Russian state regulator approved the project for the reconstruction of the berths of the stevedoring company JSC Vostochny Port. It is expected that after the upgrade, the transshipment capacity of the largest coal terminal in the Far East will increase to approximately 70 mio t/year from current 50 mio t.
The reconstruction envisages an extension of the existing 300-meter berth No. 51. The project also provides for the construction of a pier 24 meters wide and an installation of stationary belt conveyors for feeding coal to shiploaders.
The depth at berths No. 51 and 52 will amount to 16.5 meters with a further increase to 18 meters, while the dredging operations on the approach channel and in the maneuvering area of two piers will provide a design depth of 19 meters, making it the deepest terminal in the region.
With the already existing coal transshipment throughput expanded up to 50 mio t in 2019, JSC Vostochny Port in 2021 handled only 25.0 mio t of coal (-2.0 mio t or -7.4% y-o-y), which is just half of the current capacity.
The negative trend is largely caused by logistical constraints on the Russian Railways (RZD) network and a reduction in coal transportation schedules by RZD amid limited capacities of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) and the Trans-Siberian Railway (TSR). Thus, RZD is unable to ensure coal shipments in the required volumes and, as a result, port facilities in the Far East remain underutilized, hindering the increase in Russian coal exports.
Source: CAA
