MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. The demand for bottom dredging across the Transarctic transport corridor resulted in a dramatic escalation of work costs and port dues may therefore grow tenfold, the Russian government said on its Telegram account, citing Minister for Far East and Arctic Development Alexey Chekunkov.
"The demand for dredging is growing annually, while solutions applied at present, such as fleet rental from foreign shipowners, led to the drastic escalation of the work cost, by six times in 2024. Such pace, according to estimates, may lead to an increase in port dues by more than ten times," Chekunkov said.
The solution is to establish the Russian dredging fleet, the minister noted. The purchase of sixteen special vessels with the use of the preferential financing mechanism will make it possible to significantly reduce the work cost and build up its volumes, Chekunkov said.
Fourteen seaports with the cargo turnover of about 100 mln metric tons per year are in the Arctic basin. The port of Archangelsk is one of intensively developing and increasing the volumes of export and import shipments. Ten out of fourteen voyages of Chinese shipping companies along the Northern Sea Route passed through this port in 2024, including the Arctic Express en route from the Moscow rail hub to Shanghai.