Construction of the first start-up complex of the international sea terminal has been completed in Pionersky (Kaliningrad Region). Today, the terminal received the first cargo and passenger ferry Antey, which has been operating on the Seaport of Ust-Luga – Seaport of Kaliningrad line since May this year.

“We always pay special attention to the Kaliningrad Region as the westernmost region of Russia. The new seaport infrastructure is of strategic importance for the region and is primarily designed to maintain proper transport communication with the main territory of the country,” Minister of Transport of Russia Roman Starovoit commented. “Today we have put into commercial operation the first start-up complex, which will allow for the ferries with rolling equipment to call at the remote terminal Pionersky of the seaport of Kaliningrad. This will help to unload the facilities of the railway ferry complex in Baltiysk in the future.”

“During the test ship call, tug support and pilotage assistance, as well as arrangement of motor transport for proceeding to and from the ferry, were practiced. Currently, the necessary work is being carried out to launch a regular ferry coastal service,” Andrey Tarasenko, Head of Rosmorrechflot, said.

On the occasion of the first ship call, a solemn ceremony was organized in Pionersky with the participation of the acting Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Alexey Besprozvannykh, representatives of the Pionerskiy City District Administration, FSUE “Rosmorport”, the Federal State Budgetary Institution “The Administration of the Baltic Sea Ports”, the Federal State Institution “Rostransmodernizatsiya”, the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Morspassluzhba”, GEOISOL, LLC.

Andrey Moshkov, Deputy Director of the FSUE “Rosmorport” North-Western Basin Branch — Head of the Kaliningrad Department, reported on the readiness of the port infrastructure for receiving the ferry and for the commercial operation, giving permission to start cargo operations.

“Considering the unprecedented sanctions restrictions of unfriendly states on the transit of a number of goods through the Republic of Lithuania, the Russian Ministry of Transport and the Head of our state set the task to ensure that cargo and passenger vessels can be received at the Pionersky terminal as soon as possible. Now it has become possible — the terminal will be optional for the ship calls of the cargo and passenger vessel Antey and the new ferries we hope will also be put on the line in the near future,” Andrey Moshkov said, expressing gratitude to the Government of the Kaliningrad Region, the state customer represented by FSI “Rostransmodernizatsiya”, and the contractors, FSBI “Morspassluzhba” and GEOISOL, LLC, which participated in the implementation of the project.

At the end of the ceremony, the participants visited the vessel and inspected the international sea terminal facilities.

As part of the terminal construction project, a permit has been obtained for the commissioning of berth No. 1 with a length of 164 m, a shore ramp with a length of 35 m, and a water area with navigational depths of 7.5 m and an area of 30.4 hectares. In accordance with the developed technical documentation, vessels up to 191 m in length are allowed to moor to the berth.

The development of infrastructure and an increase in the capacity of Russian seaports are provided for by a Comprehensive Plan for the Modernization and Expansion of the Main Infrastructure, developed in the service of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It is planned that at the first stage the terminal in Pionersky, as an optional terminal of ship call for the Antey ferry, will be used when the ferry pier in Baltiysk is occupied by one of the four railway ferries already on the line. The Antey ferry, like railway ferries, makes up to 6 calls at the seaport of Kaliningrad per month.

The universal two-deck ferry Antey of the Ro-Pax type is capable of transporting rolling equipment and passengers escorting it. Up to 94 road trains can be accommodated on both decks. The vessel has 59 cabins for 149 passengers. The deadweight of the ferry is 7,811 MT.

“With the support of the President and the Government of Russia, a lot of work has been done to develop sea transportation. Now it provides a stable supply of enterprises and population with the necessary goods. The number of vessels on the Kaliningrad route is increasing. The total number is about 27 units. Two years ago, our sea line was reinforced with modern ferries Marshal Rokossovsky and General Chernyakhovsky. In May this year, it was reinforced by the cargo and passenger ferry Antey. And today its crew could appreciate the modern port facilities,” Alexey Besprozvannykh, Acting Governor of the Kaliningrad Region, noted.

The implementation of the project for the construction of an international sea terminal and port infrastructure is going on. At the moment, the following infrastructure is being built at the facility: berth No. 2, protective structures, auxiliary buildings and structures located in the coastal part of the terminal. The works are being carried out under the control of FSI “Rostransmodernizatsiya”. At the same time, the construction of the passenger terminal building and a number of other port infrastructure facilities is underway at the expense of FSUE “Rosmorport”.

Upon completion and commissioning of the sea terminal, it will accept cargo-passenger and cruise vessels. The terminal capacity to the design output will be up to 225 thousand passengers and up to 80 thousand units of rolling equipment per year.