Belarus wants to take part in Sakhalin transport and logistics hub project - Lukashenko
MINSK. Oct 28 (Interfax) - Belarus is ready to take part in creating an international transport and logistics hub in the Sakhalin region, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with Sakhalin region Governor Valery Limarenko.
"We are ready to cooperate on your project to create an international transport and logistics hub by modernizing the infrastructure of the Korsakov seaport and building fish processing plants," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by the BelTA state news agency.
Lukashenko also expressed interest in collaborating on launching eco-friendly transportation in Sakhalin. In particular, the first Belaz hydrogen fuel dump truck will soon begin pilot operations in Sakhalin, he said.
Limarenko confirmed plans to deliver the project, which aims to assess the performance of hydrogen-powered equipment directly in a quarry. "We have a coal pit where extraction is ongoing, and there are plans to increase production one and a half to two times. If we succeed with this experiment - currently, 150 vehicles are operating there - it's clear that this is a serious, large-scale program. And if Russia and Belarus can create this kind of super project that will operate on hydrogen while under sanctions, it will be a significant technological breakthrough, because hydrogen is the future, and we need to learn to live and work with hydrogen," Limarenko stated.
The Korsakov port is Sakhalin's largest, handling up to 80% of cargo coming to the island. JSC Korsakov Marine Trade Port has 14 cargo cranes and six berths. Reconstructing the seaport is expected to cost around 15 billion rubles. The goal of its development is to establish a fish storage and processing business at the port. The project was previously presented as "a multifunctional deep-water hub with full wave protection structures and a container terminal." The first phase of reconstruction should be completed in 2025 and the second in 2027.
Sakhalin has been chosen by the Russian government as a pilot site for developing hydrogen technologies. An Eastern Hydrogen Cluster has been established on the island, which includes a testing ground for hydrogen technologies and testing Russian equipment, including hydrogen fueling stations for transport and hydrogen-based energy generation systems. The testing ground is part of the Special Design Bureau for Automation of Marine Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Far Eastern Branch. The region aims to launch five pilot projects for using hydrogen in energy and transportation by mid-2025.