Murmansk Sea Commercial Port Coal Terminal
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Murmansk Sea Commercial Port Coal Terminal (Russian: Мурманский Морской Торговый Порт), also known as Murmansk Commercial Seaport is a large coal terminal in Russia.
Location
Murmansk Sea Commercial Port is located in Murmansk, Murmansk Oblast, Russia.
Background
The port is technically a terminal with 10 berths according to the port map,[1] 15 berths according the the description on the same page from the company website last updated in 2024.[1]
Total terminal capacity is listed at 24 mtpa based on the company website last updated in 2024,[1] and 17.4 mtpa based on the Port Alliance website.[2]
The port started operating in 1915. The modern Port of Murmansk began operating in 1994.[3] Since 2013, the port has been controlled by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko's companies, including SUEK AG and EuroChem.[4] The port is operated by Murmansk Commercial Sea Port JSC(MMTP), which is part of the National Transport Company (NTK), which in turn is owned by SUEK and EuroChem. The Siberian Generating Company (SGK), owned by SUEK, is also listed as a key partner of the port.[5] In addition to the Murmansk Commercial Seaport, SUEK also operates the Murmansk Bulk Terminal, which mostly handles fertilizers and mining products such as iron ore.[6]
In 2015, the Murmansk Commercial Seaport had a throughput capacity of 13 million tonnes and sent most of its exports to UK, Germany, and Israel. In terms of production capacity, the port was the second largest among the ports of CIS and Baltic countries handling coal. In 2010 the seaport transhipped about 9.5 million tonnes of coal.[7] The port's capacity increased since then; the seaport handled 17.5 million tonnes of cargo in 2019,[8] including 16.2 million tonnes of coal.[3] The majority of coal handled at the port comes from SUEK's mines in the Kuzbass region.[9]
In 2020, shipping activity ground to a halt for several weeks due to a collapsed railway bridge.[10] Nevertheless, traffic volumes remained high - the Murmansk Commercial Seaport handled 16.4 million tonnes of coal in 2020.[6]
In September 2020, the port announced that it would seek to replace falling volumes of coal cargo with iron ore and fertilizer.[11] In 2022, the port handled 12.6 million tonnes of coal.[12]
In 2024, the Governor of Murmansk Andrei Chibis has proposed a gradual transfer of coal transhipments from the centre of Murmansk to the new Lavna coal terminal on the western shore of the Kola Bay. [8] In the 9 months of 2024, coal handling fell by 17% versus 2023, reaching 9.26 million tonnes.[10]
In 2025, the terminal handled 9.7 million tonnes of cargo, a 30% reduction from the previous year. 77% of the cargo, 7.4 million tonnes, was coal.[13]
As of 2026, the terminal has been receiving Norwegina coal from Svalbard archipelago mined by a Russian company Federal State Unitary Enterprise "State Trust Arktikugol."[14]
Coal dust pollution and community concerns
Residents have repeatedly complained about coal dust pollution in central Murmansk caused by wind-blown emissions from the port's coal-loading operations. In early 2024, Murmansk Governor Andrei Chibis called on state prosecutors to investigate the port company for potential violations of its operating licence following residents' complaints. SUEK sold the port in June 2024. Following earlier incidents, the company installed a wind barrier along the section of coal-loading facilities facing the city, though it proved largely ineffective during strong winds. In May 2026, winds reaching 17 m/s carried a thick cloud of coal dust across the Oktyabrsky District in the city centre over a weekend, blanketing cars, windows and streets and prompting widespread alarm on social media among residents concerned about health impacts. The port temporarily halted coal-loading operations and stated that its air quality monitoring systems recorded no exceedances of established standards.[15]
Project Details
- Owner: Murmansk Commercial Sea Port JSC (MMTP)
- Parent: Siberian Coal Energy Company JSC (SUEK)
- Location: Kola Bay, Northern Russia
- Total Terminal Capacity: 24 mtpa[1]
- Coal Capacity (Million tonnes per annum): 19[5]
- Status: Operating
- Start year: 1915[16][17]
- Type: Exports, imports[18]
- Source of Coal: SUEK AG's Kuzbass mines
Articles and Resources
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "О порте". port-mmtp.ru. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
- ↑ "«Портовый альянс» — стивидорная компания". portalliance.ru. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Seaborne Deliveries - Westward, SUEK AG, Accessed November 2021
- ↑ Миллиардер Мельниченко стал единственным владельцем мурманского порта, Lenta, Apr. 24, 2013
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 «Мурманский морской торговый порт» обновил собственный рекорд грузооборота, MVestnik, May 17, 2021
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Logistics, SUEK, Accessed December 2021
- ↑ "Seaborne Deliveries" SUEK AG homepage, accessed September 2, 2011 and June 5, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Грузооборот Мурманского МТП по итогам 2019 года превысил 17,5 млн тонн - Алексей Рыкованов, Port News, Dec. 25, 2019
- ↑ Андрей Телегин, СУЭК возобновил отгрузки угля в Мурманск, Argus Media, June 23, 2020
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Atle Staalesen, Dying industry is still big business in Murmansk, Barent Observer, Jan. 27, 2021
- ↑ Мурманский МТП планирует заменить долю угля железорудным сырьем, Port News, Sep. 3, 2020
- ↑ "Уголь: теперь с южным акцентом". /portnews.ru. February 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Грузооборот ММТП в первой половине 2026 года снизился на 31% — до 4,31 млн тонн". portnews.ru. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
- ↑ "Мурманский МТП за 11 месяцев 2025 года обработал 10 судозаходов с архипелага Шпицберген (Норвегия)". portnews.ru. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
- ↑ Murmansk trapped in coal dust, The Barents Observer, May 4, 2026
- ↑ "Мурманский морской торговый порт". portalliance.ru. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
- ↑ "История ММТП". port-mmtp.ru. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
- ↑ "Мурманский МТП за 11 месяцев 2025 года обработал 10 судозаходов с архипелага Шпицберген (Норвегия)". portnews.ru. Retrieved 2026-09-09.
