First tin, gold and diamond mining projects are being implemented in the north of Yakutia
Indiga Seaport: what it is and what it means for the Northeast Passage
The planning for the Indiga Seaport located near a settlement of the same name in Nenets Autonomous Okrug started in autumn 2019. The deep-water ice-free Indiga Seaport will become one of the main stations of the Northeast Passage and a priority investment project for the region.
Characteristics of Indiga Bay where the construction is set to take place are perfect for creating a large transportation hub.
The deepest coastal waters are 18 metres deep, which is going to make the port suitable for ships with a deadweight of 100 thousand tons and more. Year-round navigation will allow ice-class vessels to travel without icebreakers.
Thanks to the location of the harbour, the port will allow the vessels to travel to the Atlantic and the World Ocean via the Northeast Passage, plus it's possible to construct a railway next to the harbour and use it for cargo transportation. This project will significantly shorten (by 350–400 km) and simplify cargo transportation via the Northeast Passage to the end customers, and will, therefore, make it cheaper as well. The efficiency of using ice-class vessels will increase by 30%.
As mentioned in the general agreement on creating the Indiga Seaport, it will become the largest seaport hub for the transhipment of international transit cargo and feeder lines to the Arctic lot, for subsequent shipment via the Europe–Asia–Europe route.
The port will conduct transhipment for almost all types of cargo delivered here via rail, pipeline and water transport. Indiga will be exporting cargo from Russia to the U. S., Canada, Europe, China and Asia-Pacific countries, and vice versa.
The port will include coal and bulk-oil terminals, an LNG terminal, a universal handling terminal, specialised quays and quays for vessels of the port's fleet, port fleet stations, centres for liquidation of oil spills, and other infrastructure objects. The port will use large-capacity vessels with a deadweight of 150 to 300 thousand tons.
After reaching their full capacity, facilities of the Indiga Seaport are set to demonstrate the following levels of cargo turnover: coal terminal—30 million tons per year; bulk-oil terminal—up to 17 million tons; LNG terminal—6.4 million tons; universal handling terminal—3.8 million tons; specialised quays—1.8 million tons per year.
Contracts for cargo transportation are expected to be signed as the construction of port infrastructure begins. The overall investment into the project will be over RUB 300 billion, including the construction of the actual port infrastructure and the railroad part of the project.
First tin, gold and diamond mining projects are being implemented in the north of Yakutia
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