Arkhangelsk offered China to create a ship repair hub in the Arctic

The Arkhangelsk region invited Chinese investors to participate in the creation of new ship repair enterprises and the development of the port infrastructure of the region. Prospects for cooperation were discussed at the IV Russian-Chinese Forum of Investment Development and Trade Cooperation in Shenyang, Liaoning Province.

The event was attended by more than 2000 representatives of the authorities and business circles of Russia and China. The region was represented at the forum by the Minister of Economic Development and Industry of the Arkhangelsk Region Yevgenia Shelyuk.

One of the main topics of the talks was the increase in cargo transportation along the Northern Sea Route. Yevgenia Shelyuk spoke about the possibilities of the Arkhangelsk transport hub and its role in the development of the Trans-Arctic transport corridor.

According to the minister, the total capacity of the Arkhangelsk seaport for cargo transshipment is about 11 million tons per year. It consists of 76 berths and 12 main cargo terminals. There are 10 registered shipping companies operating more than 300 vessels in the region.

Separately, the forum participants were presented with the dynamics of container transportation. In recent years, their volumes have increased 30 times. In 2025, the port of Arkhangelsk handled 244 thousand tons of container cargo – more than 16 thousand containers. By the end of 2026, further growth is expected.

To expand the capabilities of the transport hub, the government of the Arkhangelsk region together with Rosatom is implementing a project to build a new deep-water area of the Arkhangelsk seaport. The region is also interested in attracting foreign investors, including Chinese companies.

According to the presented plans, the maximum depth of the berth will be up to 14.5 meters. This will allow to accept ships with deadweight up to 75 thousand tons and a capacity of up to five thousand containers. The projected cargo turnover of the new port area by 2031 may reach 25 million tons.

Another area of cooperation can be ship repair. According to Yevgenia Shelyuk, now five enterprises are engaged in the repair of ships in the region, the load of which already exceeds the design capacity. At the same time, there is a need for infrastructure for maintenance and repair of a large-tonnage fleet.

- We invite Chinese investors to consider the possibility of implementing joint projects to create new ship repair enterprises in the Arkhangelsk region. The region is ready to offer sites for production and provide the opportunity to use preferential regimes, the minister said.

Within the framework of the forum, a meeting was also held between Yevgenia Shelyuk and Zhang Weidong, Deputy Director of the Department of Commerce of Liaoning Province. The Chinese side confirmed its interest in cooperation with the Arkhangelsk region on the use of the Northern Sea Route and increasing cargo traffic.

The parties also discussed prospects for expanding trade relations. According to the regional Ministry of Economic Development and Industry, for the first half of 2026, the trade turnover of the Arkhangelsk region with China increased by 11.1% compared to the same period last year. Exports increased by more than 12%.

The regional department expects that cooperation with the industrialized province of Liaoning will expand trade and economic ties with China.