Going for coal
Russia will boost its coal production with 30 percent. A significant share will be taken from Arctic mines.
The world´s sixth biggest coal producing country will boost its annual production by more than 100 million tons by year 2030. Visiting Kemerovo, the centre of the coal-rich Kusbass region, the country´s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that 3.7 trillion rubles will be spent on a national coal development programme over the next 18 years. The lion´s share of the money will be invested by private companies.
With the new development programme, Russia will increase its annual coal production from today´s 330 million tons to 430 million tons.
In his Kemerovo speech, posted at the government website, Putin also highlighted the importance of facilitating the transportation of the coal.
Russia today accounts for close to five percent of the world´s coal production. More than a third of the production is exported. In 2009, Russia exported more than 130 million tons, which made it the world´s third biggest coal exporter.
The biggest increase in production is expected to come in the existing coal-producing units in Kusbass. However, also coal mines in the country´s Arctic will face expanded production. According to Putin, the coal mines in Vorkuta, the Komi Republic, will be among the priortity units.
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The major increase in production is likely to be followed by a similar growth in exports. That will be felt in ports like Murmansk, where coal accounts for the biggest share of shipping. From before, Murmansk experiences major capacity challenges with the coal trade. Inevitably, the ambitious coal programme will help speed up plans for the development of new railway infrastructure in the region and the construction of a new coal terminal on the western shore of the Kola Bay.
Read also:Coal company takes control over Murmansk port
