Port Taman Dry Bulk Terminal

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Port Taman Dry Bulk Terminal is located in Port Taman, on the coast of the Taman Bay in Temryuksky District, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It handles coal.

Location

The map below shows the Taman Port Area. The pin shows the location of the Oteko Terminal; other jetties, both operating and under construction, can be seen nearby.

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Background

There are two competing proposals for coal terminals at the Port of Taman. One is being developed by RMP-Taman, a subsidiary of the Russian Ministry of Transport, while the other is being developed by Russia-based holding company Oteko.

In 2020, the Taman port handled 22.3 million tonnes of cargo in total, including 9.6 million tonnes of coal (43% of total cargo).[1]

RMP-Taman Dry Bulk Terminal

In August 2008, then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed a government resolution authorizing the development of a major international cargo port several kilometers south of Taman. On August 2013 Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said that the Port of Taman will open in 2019 to handle dry cargoes, such as grain and coal. Federal spending will amount to US$2.3 billion, while private investors are expected to contribute the remaining funds.[2]

Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea in early 2014, taking direct control of its ports. As a result, Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev announced in May 2014, the Russian government had indefinitely suspended its plans to construct a port in Taman due to lack of need.[3]

However, later in 2014, the Glavgosexpertiza, which operates on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Construction, approved plans for a phase 2 expansion of the Port of Taman. Initial plans called for 91.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of dry bulk capacity to be constructed at the port, including two coal terminals each with capacity of 12 mtpa to be constructed. However, these plans were gradually scaled back due to struggles in attracting customers and users; the plan approved by Glavgosexpertiza called for 80.4 mtpa of capacity to be added during the expansion.[4]

During development, several key investors and customers dropped out of the project. For example, EuroChem decided to ship 11 mtpa of fertilizer through the Port of Ust-Luga instead of the Port of Toman.[5] Initial plans also depended on two coal terminals operated by Kuzbassrazrezugol and SUEK with 20 mtpa and 12 mtpa of capacity, respectively, but both coal companies withdrew from the project due to changes in coal markets.[6]

In the summer of 2019, revised plans for the RMP-Taman Dry Bulk Terminal only called for 15 mpta of capacity - 9 mtpa for metal cargo, operated by Metalloinvest, and 6 mtpa for grain, operated by Efko. The coal terminals had been dropped from the plans, in part because of the development of the Oteko Terminal, and partly because selling coal to the west was unlikely to be profitable.[6] In August 2020, reports emerged that the Russian government was considering fully withdrawing government support for the project.[7] At that time, observers stated that the RMP-Taman project was unlikely to proceed.[5]

In March 2021, Glavgosexpertiza reaffirmed its interest in the project, but the question of funding remained unresolved. It is also unclear whether these plans will include a coal terminal, given the imminent operation of the 50 mtpa Oteko Terminal.[8]

Oteko Terminal

In 2018, two Russian coal companies, Sibanthracite and SDS, announced a strategic partnership with Oteko for shipping coal through its soon-to-be-completed coal terminal.[9] At that time, Oteko's existing terminal had a capacity of 20 mtpa and exported LNG, grains and other dry bulk commodities, but did not export coal. Russia-based holding company Oteko was funding the construction of the terminal. Construction of the new coal terminal was expected to be completed in 2018, but a shipping source close to the project said it was likely to have been postponed until at least 2019. Exports may target Turkey.[10]

Plans for the Oteko Terminal called for 60 mtpa of dry bulk capacity, including 50 mtpa of capacity for coal. Total costs of the project were estimated at US$8 billion.[6] The coal terminal was estimated to cost US$2 billion; as of October 2019, VTB Bank was the only financier for the coal terminal.[9]

The Oteko Dry Bulk Terminal was launched in March 2019. Oteko expected the terminal to reach its design capacity of 50 mtpa for coal by 2021.[9]

The Oteko terminal has also struggled to attract customers. In August 2020, the government was considering subsidizing phase 1 of the Port of Taman in order to reduce the transshipment rate and focus on the export of more expensive coking coal.[7] If the subsidies were enacted, up to 20 mtpa of coal from the Kuzbass and the Novosibirsk regions could flow through the terminal.[11]

In November 2021, the Oteko Terminal commissioned a new coal-loading facility with capacity of 8,000 tonnes per hour. Company officials stated that the dry bulk terminal would reach a capacity of 72 million tonnes by 2022.[12]

From January to August 2021, the Oteko Terminals handled 14.7 million tonnes of cargo in total.[13]

Project Details

  • Owner: Oteko, RMP-Taman
  • Location: Port Taman, Temryuksky District, Krasnodar Krai, Russia
  • Coal Capacity (Million tonnes per annum): 50 mtpa
  • Status: Operating (Construction ongoing)
  • Start year: 2018
  • Type: Exports (Turkey)
  • Source of Coal: Russia

Articles and Resources

Sources

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External resources

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