MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Russia plans to expand port capacities in three years to be able to redirect energy supplies by sea, while free capacities now amount to 35-40 million metric tons, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in an interview with TASS.

"We were preparing these measures [to expand port capacities] in case of a possible embargo on pipeline infrastructure in order to redirect supplies by sea. Now we have free port facilities for transshipment of 35-40 million tons of cargo, the work is underway to expand them," he said, adding that the work would be completed within three years.

Earlier, Novak said that the Transneft oil pipeline operator would expand approaches to ports in Ust-Luga, Novorossiysk and Primorsk as part of the reorientation of supplies.

This will increase the capacity of the ports by 40 million metric tons.

Earlier, Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov told TASS that the capacity of the port of Kozmino for transshipment of oil will be increased by 7 million metric tons, up to 43 million metric tons per year.

Transneft CEO Nikolay Tokarev said that the Far Eastern port of Kozmino was fully loaded, the transshipment volume was increased by 12 million metric tons from a design capacity of 30 million metric tons, to 42 million metric tons.

According to him, Transneft plans to increase the capacity of ports on the Baltic Sea to 52 million metric tons. The company also expanded the export capacity of low-sulfur oil from the port of Novorossiysk to 40 million metric tons, and is working to increase exports to 52 million metric tons.