On March 28, 2017 a solemn ceremony of opening the handling terminal took place in Murmansk Seaport.

The Governor of the Murmansk Oblast Marina Kovtun, Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation – the Head of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency Victor Olersky, OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel Senior Vice-President Sergey Batekhin, FSUE “Rosmorport” Executive Director Andrey Lavrischev and other officials took part in the event.

According to Victor Olersky, yearslong efforts put for the terminal construction allowed to create a high quality and technology object that will be integrated into the Arctic Transport System and become a starting point for the arctic projects and other companies. 

A new transport and logistics hub can process 1,5 mln tons of containerized cargo annually. The Governor of the Murmansk Oblast Marina Kovtun emphasized that a new terminal will enhance the capacity of the Murmansk Seaport's cargo turnover. “One and a half millions of tons is a significant volume of handling that involves employment creation, development of the Murmansk Seaport as whole, increase of the investment attractiveness of the region and raising of the Murmansk Seaport' status as the main port of the Arctic Zone”.

Under the scope of the handling terminal reconstruction project operations a new front wall was installed and berth's topside were erected as well as gantry rails and two railway branches were laid out, utility network installation were conducted in the seaport. The project also included large-scale dredging operations, installation of cranes and rail mounted gantries.

The opening of the new handling terminal will allow increasing the volume of container and general cargo handling which, in its turn, will make a significant contribution to the development of the whole Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.