MOSCOW, September 27. /TASS/. The Pacific Railroad will make it possible to carry up to 30 mln metric tons of coal, head of Yakutia Aisen Nikolaev said during the Russian Energy Week.

The Pacific Railroad with the length of 500 km is the first private railroad, with its construction underway in the Khabarovsk Region, Investments in the project will total 140 bln rubles ($1.5 bln). The railroad will go to Elga port.

"The Pacific Railroad is the answer of Yakutia and Elgaugol to Eastern Range [railroad] problems," Nikolaev said. "The railroad with the length of 531 km has been built recently during a historically short period, actually during two years, in the most difficult conditions of Yakutia and the Khabarovsk Region with the Stanovoi Range crossing. I think final coupling will take place as early as in October of this year. All that will enable exporting 30 mln metric tons of coal and more over this railroad as early as in coming years," he noted.

Plans of shareholders are to expand coal exports to 50 mln metric tons, Nikolaev noted. The port of Elga, which is the destination for the railroad, can also be expanded from 30 mln to 50 mln metric tons, the official added.

The 7th Russian Energy Week is being held with support of the Russian Government, the Russian Ministry of Energy and the Government of Moscow. The Roscongress Foundation is the event organizer. TASS is the information partner of the Russian Energy Week.