On the coast of the Far East of the Russian Federation there are 22 sea commercial ports and 10 fishing ports that occupy over 5 thousands marine miles. The biggest of them that have big potential turn-over are – Vostochny, Nahodka, Vladivostok, Posiet, Plastun in Primorie; Sovetskaya Gavany, Vanino, De Kastri in Khabarovsk region; Holmsk, Korsakov, Uglegorsk in Sakhalin; Magadan in the North; and Petropavlovsk-Kamchazky in Kamchatka. Total turn-over of these ports at the present time is significantly lower than 100 millions tons. During the whole XX century port construction in the Far East of Russia meant first of all construction of navy bases. In spite of advantageous geographic position our country still has not constructed any large Pacific commercial port. At the same time China already has 16 ports with turn-over over 100 millions tons each. As a result almost 100 % of goods traffic from northern part of Asian-Pacific Region that is no less than 0.5 milliards tons of goods per year are delivered to Europe by-passing Russia through Southern sea route through Suez, although this variant is longer than perspective Trans-Siberian route for approximately 1.5 times (about 20 thousands kilometers). Only 1-2 % of transit passes through our country. Considering increasing activity of several Asian countries concerning formation of “the new silk road” from China to Europe, Russia can be left without possibility of being European gates to the Far East. For this not to become a reality it is necessary to create transport system of high capacity and modern technological opportunities including marine service ships, rolling stock on railways, and infrastructure.
Among seldom ports of Pacific coast of Russia we may specify three relatively large transport nodal points – Vladivostok (commercial port of Vladivostok), Nahodka (commercial port of Nahodka, tanker port, Vostochny port), and Vanino – Sovgavany (Vanino, Sovetskaya Gavany ports). Analysis of turnover of goods of the leading ports of basin shows that the biggest increase of the turnover was in ports with high share of export goods with prevailing primary recourses - roundwood, oil, coal, ferrous metal ores and nonferrous metal ores. Development of global financial crisis in the second part of 2008 and consequent decline in demand for main types of raw materials led to decrease of export part of traffic. For example, export figures of OAO “Vaninsky sea commercial port” for 2008 decreased for 3,3 % and were 3 millions 028,4 thousands tons. The same situation is in Vostochny port where turnover of goods reduced comparing with 2007 for 5,2% and is 20 millions 720,8 thousands tons. At the same time in general scope of goods handling for several years a tendency of containerized cargos increase have been formed. Vladivostok container terminal during the last year has handled 241,595 thousands of TEU, that is for 21% higher that in 2007. Turnover of containers in Vostochny port in January – December of 2008 increased for 7,9% and was 401, 126 thousands TEU. In Vanino port 29,593 thousands TEU was handled that is for 16% higher than in 2007. Considering that fact that for the last 20 years global container traffic has doubled and now it is about 400 millions TEU, development of this direction of goods handling in key ports of the Far East is considered as the most perspective. The most interesting place for development of container traffic market is a route “Europe – Eastern Asia” through which in 2006 over 12 millions TEU were transported. Expected value for 2020 is over 50 millions TEU. Main disadvantage of Southern sea route through which goods are transported by-passing Russia is duration of transportation that is in average about 26-40 days. One more disadvantage of this route is increased risk of sea piracy near Horn of Africa. As an alternative to this route Transport strategy of the Russian Federation provides development of Land Trans-Siberian corridor beginning in ports of the Far East. In spite of big potential in development of port infrastructure in the East of Russia only Vostochny and Vanino may effectively develop in future as independent commercial projects. Development of Vladivostok port is impossible because of territorial restrictions. All other potentially attractive ports whether have no respective land transport accesses or it is necessary to carry out serious channel dredging and constructional hydrotechnical works to increase their turnover of goods. Required investments for these projects are huge (for different projects it is necessary from 20 to 110 milliards rubles depending on project). These projects are real only with participation of the State realizing infrastructural construction and giving the constructed facilities to investors for commercial exploitation on different terms. This creates serious reasons for development of partnership of private investors and the State.
For today two large projects on partnership of private investors and the State have been started that are directed on solution of the specified task. These projects are connected with each other. They include creation of Port Special Economic Zone in Sovetskaya Gavany and reconstruction of railway section Oune – Vysokogornaya with construction of new Kuznezovsky tunnel in section Komsomolsk-na-Amure – Sovetskaya Gavany, co-financed by Investment Fund of the Russian Federation. It is important to note that realization of each project separately will not have that effect as simultaneous realization of the two projects. Expected result – creation of valuable transport route on the BAM parallel to Trans-Siberian trunk-railway. This route will be shorter for 500 km. Port Special Economic Zone “Sovetskaya Gavany” will operate 49 years after the moment of creation and supposes total amount of investments according to prices of 2008 no less than 30 milliards rubles in case of financing from federal budget in amount of 12 milliards rubles (according to data of application from Khabarovsk region that won in the competition). According to our calculations the port could increase volume of annually handled goods from 0.7 to 25 millions tons till 2025 with further growth of indices. Besides that concept of Special economic zones is of complex nature; configuration of residents’ projects will allow developing of different types of activities: deep-sea export-import and transit port, center of the far eastern ship repair, production and processing of marine products. We would like you to pay special attention to that fact that besides transfer activities in Port Special Economic Zone “Sovetskaya Gavany” it is supposed to provide an active development of ship repair that at the present time has been degraded in the Far East of Russia. About 80-90% of ship repairs are carried out by ship owners on shipyards of China and Korea, while in domestic ports only the most primitive works are executed. There is a base for revival of the shi repair because Sovetskaya Gavany was one of the industrial leaders in the USSR. Ship building industry in port special economic zone has a chance to come back to the market with total capacity of no less than 1500 commercial and fishing ships that will provide no less than 200 conventional repairs per year for ship repair cluster. However, development of Sovetskaya Gavany port will proceed without use of such mechanism of partnership between private persons and the State as special economic zone, but rates and quality of such development would be significantly lower. The fact is that for today there are no regular railway accesses to the bay – ramification of railway to berths of Sovetskaya Gavany that is the eastern end of the BAM has been constructed during the Second world war according to the temporary scheme and now is in emergency state. If the State does not carry out reconstruction of road section up to the port that is provided by concept of special economic zone creation the interest of private investors to the bay will disappear. Development of transport nodal point will be restricted by Vanino region where all the initiated projects are local and possibilities for construction of new port facilities are close to finishing. For the present time the project of Sovetskaya Gavany is in the stage of waiting when Regulation of the Government of the Russian Federation on formation of special economic zone will be signed; everyone has waited for this event for already several months. If such rates of rule-making and financing are not changed, one of the first projects of partnership of private investors and the State oriented on complex development of the BAM zone and Vanino - Sovetskaya Gavany transport nodal point will be realized not in full and with significant delay.
The problem is effective not only for the described project. Delay with realization of special economic zone in Khabarovsk region impedes implementation of further significant programs oriented on use of mechanisms of partnership of private investors and the State in the Far East. These programs include already developed by us project on creation of bioresourse port economic special zone in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. For its creation it is necessary to carry out already announced second tender for the right of formation of port zones; however, invitation to tender is impossible until Government of the Russian Federation will carry out the first selection of projects on special economic zones. According to project on creation in Petrpovavlovsk-Kamchatsky of port special economic zone “Avacha” it is planned to increase the scope of fish processing in the region for 72 % (for 403 thousands tons). Result will be expressed not only in growth of physical volumes, but also in radical increase of depth and quality of processing due to implementation of modern technologies. This will give a possibility of sending abroad not just raw materials, but also finished products. Significant factor of success of this project will be a creation of the Far Eastern fish market. Total amount of investments into port special economic zone “Avacha” may reach 27 milliards rubles in prices of 2008, among them 57 % - private investments. New projects of partnership of private investors and the State may provide synergistic effect with already realized projects. For example, the following model could be effective: the activity is distributed among two port special economic zones described above; Sovetskaya Gavany executes functions of repair base for shipping fleet and transport nodal point for delivery of finished goods of fish processing from Kamchatka to central regions of Russia. We would like to finish this material with important and useful information. In addition to mechanism of port special economic zone each far-eastern port having complex development project has a possibility to obtain financing from money of Investment Fund of the Russian Federation. In accordance with established quotas for 2009 each subject may obtain an amount about 1 milliard rubles for projects of regional nature.
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