A transshipment terminal has opened in Murmansk in the run-up to The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue international forum, the forum's press service said. The new transport-logistics hub can handle 1.5 million metric tons of container shipments annually.

"This terminal will streamline deliveries, making them more cost effective and efficient. Other shippers and industries, now being developed in Murmansk, will also find it an essential asset. This terminal is an excellent and efficient startup for Arctic projects," said Deputy Minister of Transport Viktor Olersky, Head of the Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport.

Nornickel has finished upgrading the second pier of its Murmansk transport subsidiary. When opened, the second phase will allow the terminal to reach full capacity and increase freight traffic by almost 100 percent: from 780,000 to 1.5 million metric tons annually. Local warehouses have an area of 100,000 square meters. The piers feature portal cranes that can lift 40-80 metric tons. This project will receive investment worth 2.4 billion rubles. The company has spent 4.6 billion rubles on modernizing the Murmansk terminal. 

"The new terminal underscores the importance of the Northern Sea Route as Nornickel's key shipping corridor and the company's interest in investing in a more accessible Russian Arctic zone. This highlights the successful development of Arctic infrastructure. After Nornickel's Murmansk transport hub reaches full capacity, it will facilitate the sustained development of the Northern Sea Route as a national transport artery and will also promote freight transits," Nornickel's Senior Vice-President Sergei Batekhin said.

Murmansk Region Governor Marina Kovtun believes that the new terminal will expand the local seaport's turnover.

"Approximately 1.5 million metric tons is a substantial transshipment volume that will provide new jobs and contribute to the development of the Murmansk port. The region will become more popular with investors, and the Murmansk port's status as the main Arctic port will also increase," she noted.