Primorsk coal terminal

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Primorsk coal terminal is a proposed coal-handling facility on the Baltic Sea in the Vyborg Region of Russia.

Location

The map below shows the location where the coal terminal would be constructed in the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, near an existing gas terminal operated by Transneft.

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Background

The Primorsk coal terminal has been proposed as part of the 65 mtpa Primorsk Universal Transshipment Complex, which would be the first deep-water port on the Baltic Sea. The coal terminal would have an initial capacity of 20 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), with the potential to expand to 25 mtpa. Construction was initially planned to begin in January 2020 and be complete by 2030, but as of November 2021, the project was aiming to begin commercial operations in 2025. Estimates for the total cost of the port's development have ranged from 77 billion to 200 billion rubles (approximately US$1-2.7 billion).

The port's design plans were approved by Glavgosexpertiza in July 2021, and preliminary construction work began in the fall of 2021. In November 2021, the project closed a construction and financing deal with FSUE Rosmoport. The project is being developed as part of Russia's Comprehensive Plan for the Modernization and Expansion of the Backbone Infrastructure (KPMI). The port began the first stage of construction in late November, 2021, after receiving all necessary permits.

However the construction has not progressed. According to Bellona report dated March 2023, thanks to the actions of environmental activists and several lawsuits launched, the project has achieved limited progress and was said to have limited prospects. The economic rationale for the coal terminal in North-western Russia naturally reduced following the start of the sanctions against Russia. A media source from June 2023 referred to the project as not abandoned, although construction has not yet really started.

Opposition

In October 2021, in response to several hundred hectares of forest being cut down for the port's facilities, protestors erected an "eco-camp" in Primorsk. The eco-camp was an escalation of several years of local residents' efforts to oppose the port's construction via traditional methods such as rallies and petitions. The activists in the camp planned to take direct action to stop the destruction of the forest, including eco-sabotage.

At the behest of local residents, the environmental group, Petersburg Center for Expertise ECOM, commissioned a 119-page report on the Primorsk Port's environmental impact. The group found significant issues with the project's design. They argued that the development would cause major ecological damage to the area, but that the developers had ignored these issues. ECOM also claimed that the environmental violations would violate several international laws. The group has also raised concerns about plans to create artificial land for the port.

Project Details

• Owner: Primorsk Universal Port Company LLC (ООО «Приморский универсально-перегрузочный комплекс»)
• Parent:
• Location: Primorsk, Vyborg Region, Russia
• Coal Capacity (Million tonnes per annum): 25
• Status: Construction
• Type: Exports

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