New Russian Arctic Port Construction Delayed For At Least A Year; Collapsing Permafrost A Key Reason

[hatrack]

The implementation of a new seaport had been discussed for close to 20 years amongst Russian authorities before the official planning for the Indiga Seaport had started in the autumn of 2019, the Russian Government’s official portal for Arctic infrastructure investments reports. Indiga is a village on the eastern shores of the Barents Sea, south of Kolguyev Island. As reported by the Barents Observer last year, a new 500 km railway from Karpogory near Arkhangelsk to bring cargo to the new port in Indiga.


The Belkomur railway will be built from Solikamsk via Syktyvkar to Arkhangelsk. Now with a planned side-track of about 500 km heading north to Indiga. Map: Barents Observer / Google Earth

Now, according to the owner of the private investment company AEON, Roman Trotsenko, the beginning of the 300-billion-ruble port’s construction is set for the second half of 2024. Previously, the creation of the port was planned to begin in 2023. However, because of a variety of challenges such as changing environment as a cause of climate change and unforeseeable weather conditions, the port’s construction has been postponed.

Roman Trotsenko explained, “There are many difficulties in the construction of the port. That includes permafrost, ice, and difficult weather conditions. The permafrost, which by the way, is thawing and changing its depth, requires new technologies to be used in the construction of the port.” “We think that we will require two more seasons of navigation in 2022 and in 2023 where we will carry out drilling in the water sediments. This means that we will start designing [the port] by 2024, which will take approximately 12 months with permission from Glavgosexpertiza (the federal autonomous institution helping exercise the powers of the Russian Ministry of Construction). This means that the construction of the port can start from the second part of 2024,” Trotsenko said to TASS.

EDIT

https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2021/09/indiga-seaport-construction-postponed-due-changing-climate-conditions

[PortTack]

1. Seems they didn't really think that one thru. So, what's gonna happen in a year?

More than likely everything they built will have been swallowed by the sinking permafrost

[Mickju]

2. Yes, the permafrost will just keep melting.

Probably for the foreseeable future