River depth is not enough for the builders of Power of Siberia

Key export project of Gazprom - the Power of Siberia gas pipeline to China, which is under construction - has faced with logistical problems. According to the Kommersant’s information, Gazprom offered the state to conduct dredging on the Zeya river, in other case the monopoly and its contractors will have to bear additional costs for delivery of pipes and equipment. But the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency estimated that the works would require 250 million rubles per year from the budget, and suggested Gazprom to look for additional low-draft barges abroad at its own expense.

Gazprom suggests to carry out a dredging on the Zeya river in the Amur region, as the existing fairway limits the draft of vessels and the volume of goods transportation, reported the Kommersant’s sources, familiar with the outcome of the meeting in the Ministry of Transport within the framework of the action plan on state support of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline construction. The cargo transportation by Zeya is needed not only for the construction of the gas pipeline, but also for the delivery of equipment to the Amur gas processing plant, which will be built near the town of Svobodny. Now the fairway enables to use only barges with a draft of 1.1-1.3 meter for the transportation, but this type of barges is not enough, and the dredging will enable to attract vessels with draft of up to 1.7 meters. According to the Kommersant’s interlocutors, the load of these types of barges depends on the type of vessel, but may vary 1.5-2 times.