Transport Ministry to allow concession assess to Taman port infrastructure for foreigners
MOSCOW. July 5 (Interfax) - Russia's Transport Ministry is considering the possibility of using concession arrangements with related foreign companies for access to infrastructure facilities at the port of Taman, Deputy Transport Minister Viktor Olersky told the press on Friday.
"In this process [bringing non-budgetary funds to the project] we are submerged not just a single month, and we today have various models. And virtually all allow the use of other financial instruments," Olersky said. One model, he said, is the use of concession arrangements. "For example, we see that the channel is approachable, it is being considered [in terms of investment recoverability]. At the same time, there are protective facilities that money does not bring - this, probably, in our understanding - involves federal budget funds," he said.
Railway infrastructure, he said, from the standpoint of volume "looks like some partnership. That is, part of the funds from the federal budget, part other instruments - the National Welfare Fund, pension funds." "We figured that if they give us money for twenty-five years, the model works for several facilities," he said.
The ministry is already negotiating with potential concessionaires over dredging work, Olersky said. "We are negotiating with big dredging companies. They are prepared on concession terms to build facilities," he said. With companies, but in "any case," the ministry will be holding a competition.
Now, Olersky said, the first stage of building federal transport facilities is estimated at 115 billion rubles. In the federal target program for these goals there is only 76 billion rubles, since at the start the project was substantially smaller in scale: capacity 36 million tonnes per year, maximum acceptance of vessels displacing 70,000 tonnes (now the project involves port capacity of 90 million tonnes and vessels displacing 150,000 tonnes). Olersky said that 39 billion more rubles are needed and the plan is to get the money from private investors that take part in the concessions.
Olersky said earlier that the concession competitions would likely begin this year.
The state client for the project Dry-Cargo Region of the Port of Taman is FKU Rostransmodernizatsia. The project involves the government building the following: hydro-technical facilities, approach channels, operational water areas, protective dikes, rail approaches to the port, developing the Northern Caucasus railway towards the port, building roadway approaches, and other facilities.