OREANDA-NEWS. November 25, 2008. The ports of Arkhangelsk are handling about five million tons of goods per year. That is less than 50 percent of their capacity.

The Arkhangelsk Sea Commercial Port is handling less than two million tons per year, while the local oil port handles about three million tons. That is only about 45 percent of the ports’ total capacity, head of the Arkhangelsk regional Department of Transport and Communications, Vladimir Kochurov, says to Regnum.

Mr. Kochurov believes the Arkhangelsk port will have to reduce port tariffs in order to boost shipping. Today, the local ports have the highest tariffs in the country. The port also needs to facilitated conditions for big-size tankers, the official says.

Arkhangelsk has major plans for the development of a new deep-water port, which will be able to handle big-size tankers. The port also has plans for the linking up with the projected Belkomur railway line, which will connect the big industrial areas in Western Siberia with Arkhangelsk and the Barents Sea.