The Russian mining and steel producing group Mechel has announced the commencement of the two-stage construction of a specialized coal transshipment complex at Vanino Port (Vanino SCTC) in Khabarovskiy Kray, Russia.
Constituting part of the Neryungrinsky and Elga coal deposits development project, the complex at Vanino SCTC will build railways, construct stations for unloading rail cars, construct a coal storage warehouse, a conveyor track system, a two-sided pier and ship-loading machines, a major control unit and other operational infrastructure.
The first stage of the terminal, with a capacity of 15 million mt, is scheduled for opening in 2012, while the commissioning of the second stage, which is to increase the terminal's capacity to 25 million mt, is scheduled for 2015. The total cost of the project is estimated at Ruble 12 billion (approx. $470 million).
Coal will be exported from the port to Asia-Pacific Region countries on marine bulk carriers, with a maximum dead weight capacity up to 150,000 mt.
The construction of Vanino SCTC is being performed at the same time as with Mechel's previously-announced Elga-Ulak railway construction. The 315 km-long railway is to connect the Elga coal deposits with the Baykal-Amur railroad, and is scheduled to start operation by September 2010.
Commenting on the project, Mechel Management CEO Vladimir Polin said, "The construction of the complex at Vanino Port and the implementation of other transportation projects will establish one of the largest transportation hubs in the Far East, supporting the strategic interests of the Russian transport and commodities markets in the Asia-Pacific Region and significantly contributing to the economic development of the Vanino district and the Far East region."