Port Murmansk

The seaport of Murmansk is one of the largest ice-free ports in Russia. It is located on the coast of Kola Bay in the Barents Sea. The port is navigated all year round. The dimensions of vessels calling at the port of Murmansk are not limited. The main port capabilities are located on the western coast of Kola Bay, among them the mooring berths of the commercial port (including passenger area), fishing port, ship-repair yard, shipyard, oil terminal, and FSUE Atomflot premises. On the eastern coast of Kola Bay there is a number of small fish and fleet maintenance terminals. Moreover, 3 road handling terminals (Lavna, Belokamenka, Mokhnatkin) are a part of the Murmansk port as well as an open road near Kolguev Island (the eastern part of the Barents Sea). Beyond Kola Bay the port owns several terminals designated for anchorage and repair of vessels: settlements of Teriberka, Ura-Guba and Liinakhamari.

The port of Murmansk owns approximately 100 mooring berths with total length of more than 10km. Approximately 200 stevedoring companies that render services on handling of a wide range of cargoes: coal, non-ferrous and ferrous metals, nis matte, Arctic destination containers, apatite concentrate, mineral fertilizers, oil products, crude oil, refrigerated cargoes, operate at the mooring berths. Regular local passenger transportations are carried out at the port of Murmansk.

Murmansk Infrastructure Capability

Murmansk Commercial Seaport.

Murmansk Commercial Seaport is located in the southern part of Kolskiy Bay 22 miles south of the Barents Sea coast (or open sea). 68 degrees 58 minutes N; 33 degrees 05 minutes of E. The navigation in the Port is open 24 hours and all year round. The tide changes occur approximately every 6 hours. The difference of the water level is 3,66 m. The gulf is ice-free but in severe winters it is iced for a short time; but normally the ice is drifting. The depths on the roads are 20-60 m. The speed of the tide can be 2,5 knots. Density of water in the bay is changeable within the limits 1,000-1,025 ‰ subject to tides. Murmansk Commercial Seaport is the only port in the northwest of Russia handling the vessels with the deadweight up to 130 000 t.

On the territory of Murmansk commercial seaport operate two stevedoring companies: Open Joint Stock Company «Murmansk Commercial Seaport» and Closed Joint Stock Company «Agrosphere». OJSC “Murmansk Commercial Seaport” is divided into 3 districts. Handling and storage of the general cargoes, bulk cargoes and cargoes in containers are possible on the 1st and the 2nd cargo districts. The storage and loading of vessels with apatite concentrate in bulk by conveyor is provided by the 3rd cargo district. JSC “Agrosphere” is the specialized complex for storage and loading of vessels with mineral fertilizers in bulk by conveyor.

1st Cargo district

The cargo district is the subdivision of the Terminal OJSC “Murmansk Commercial Seaport”. The Chief of the cargo district is at the head of the district. The cargo district provides loading-unloading operations, storage and other kinds of works with all cargoes except for the liquid ones. The cargo district is located on berths NN 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and the adjacent territories. There are closed storehouses and ground storage for cargoes. To deliver and remove the cargoes the district is equipped with the rail tracks and access roads. The controller service and the foremen are available round the clock.

Specifications of the berths.

The operative depth at the berths is changeable depending upon the tide. The actual depth at the berth is the operative depth, height of the high tide at the moment and the corrections of “Mareograph” with its sign. The information about corrections of the “Mareograph” and the actual height of the water is available in State Inspection of the Port Control (48-06-65). 

Specifications of the handling equipment. 

The gantry cranes are used for cargo works. Loading / unloading of bulk cargoes is made by the grabs. Berths 4,5,7,9,10 are equipped with the gantry cranes type “Sokol”, the capacity with the outreach of the boom is 32/25/16 m:

• 16/20/32 tons - in the hook operation
• 16 tons - in the grab operation

Lifting height of the hook - 25 m over the surface of the rail. Depth of lowering - 16 m. Berths NN 2,8,11 are equipped with the gantry cranes type “Gants”, with the capacity 5-6 tons - in the hook operation, 5 tons -in the grab operation. Outreach of the boom - 8-30 m.  Lifting height of the hook - 20-23 m over the surface of the rail.  Depth of lowering -15 m. 

The fork trucks with the capacity from 1,5 tons to 25 tons; bucket fork trucks; truck tractors and roll-trailers with the capacity up to 40 tons are used for cargo unloading from the rail cars and transportation inside the Port. 

2nd Cargo district

The cargo district is the subdivision of the Terminal OJSC “Murmansk Commercial Seaport”. The Chief of the cargo district is at the head of the district. The cargo district provides loading-unloading operations, storage and other kinds of works with all cargoes except for the liquid ones. The cargo district is located on berths NN 13,14,15 and the adjacent territories. There are closed storehouses and ground storage for cargoes. To deliver and remove the cargoes the district is equipped with the rail tracks and access roads. The controller service and the foremen are available round the clock.

Specifications of berths.

The operative depth at the berths is changeable depending upon the tide. The actual depth at the berth is the operative depth, height of the high tide at the moment and the corrections of “Mareograph” with its sign. The information about corrections of the “Mareograph” and the actual height of the water is available in the State Inspection of the Port Control (48-06-65).

Specifications of handling equipment.

The gantry cranes are used for cargo works. Loading / unloading of bulk cargoes is provided by the grabs. Berth N13 is equipped with the gantry cranes type “Sokol”, the capacity with the outreach of the boom is 32/25/16 m:

• 16/20/32 tons - in the hook operation
• 16 tons - in the grab operation

Lifting height of the hook - 25 m over the surface of the rail. Depth of lowering - 16 m.  Berths NN 14, 15 are equipped with the gantry cranes type “Sokol ”and “Kondor” with the capacity 32/32/25 m

• 16/32/40 tons - in the hook operation;
• 16 tons - in the grab operation.

Lifting height of the hook - 28,5 m, Depth of lowering - 13 m.

The fork trucks with the capacity from 1,5 tons to 32 tons; bucket fork trucks; truck tractors and roll-trailers with the capacity up to 40 tons are used for cargo unloading from the rail cars and transportation inside the Port.

3 rd Cargo district.

The cargo district is the subdivision of the Terminal OJSC “Murmansk Commercial Seaport”. The Chief of the cargo district is at the head of the district. The cargo district provides loading of apatite concentrate to the ships by the conveyor line according to the following transshipments:

• rail car — ship;
• warehouse — ship.

The Cargo district is located on berth N 18 and the adjacent territory. There is a closed storehouse for apatite concentrate with the capacity 25 000 tons. The district is equipped with the railway tracks and access roads. The Controller service and the foremen are available round the clock.

Specifications of the berth:

Length of the berth: 187 m, Operative depth at the berth: 10,2 m. The operative depth at the berths is changeable depending upon the tide. The actual depth at the berth is the operative depth, height of the high tide at the moment and the corrections of “Mareograph” with its sign. The information about corrections of the “Mareograph” and the actual height of the water is available in the State Inspection of the Port Control (48-06-65).

Restrictions for the ship sizes.

Max length of the ship - no more than 220 m. Max beam of the ship — no more than 28 m. The distance from the fore part of the 1st hold to the aft part of the last hold is not to be more than 154 m before complete loading of all holds (specifications of the shiploader). Max height of the airdraft up to the hatch cover - no more than 14 m.

Specifications of the handling equipment.

Loading of bulk cargoes on berth N 18 is provided by the specialized facilities with the vertical shoot. The outreach of the boom is 19 m. Stowage is within the hatch from side to side of the ship at the distance 19m from the berth line (specifications of the shiploader). Max efficiency of loading is 1050 tons/hour. The conveyor line is equipped with the technological scales of conveyor type T 2820 (the Swedish company “E.Sarlin AB”) with the measurement error up to 1 %.

For more detailed information visit web page of Murmansk Commercial seaport: http://www.portmurmansk.ru