Belarus to implement one of its largest and most important projects in the port of Murmansk

Nuclear icebreakers, an ice-free port, and direct access to the Arctic Ocean. This seemingly harsh and cold city on the coast of the Kola Bay is actually hospitable and open to cooperation.

Murmansk is the largest city north of the Arctic Circle.

It is home to an ice-free port, which plays a vital role in the Northern Sea Route. It is also home to the base of the world's only nuclear icebreaker fleet. It is no coincidence that Murmansk is called the capital of the Arctic.

Today, the eyes of all world powers are set on the Arctic. It is no coincidence that Trump wants to "pocket" Greenland—it has enormous reserves of minerals and metals critical to the global market. And Russia is leading the way in Arctic development.

Svetlana Panfilova, Deputy Governor and Minister of Arctic Development and Economy of the Murmansk Region of Russia:

"The Arctic is rich in oil and gas. These are colossal reserves both on the continental shelf and onshore. These include high-grade coal, gold, copper-nickel ores, apatite-nepheline ores, which are the basis for the production of mineral fertilizers, and reserves of rare and rare earth metals. The Murmansk Region contains 50% of the country's lithium reserves."

The Northern Sea Route is now of strategic importance to the economies of Russia and its allies. Cargo is immune to sanctions, and sea transport distances between Europe and Asia are being reduced several times.

Vladislav Yakovchuk, Commercial Director of the Murmansk Commercial Sea Port (Russia):

"Delivery via the Northern Sea Route is twice as fast as via the Suez Canal. Based on last year's statistics, we shipped two large bulk carriers to China, each carrying 165,000 tons of iron ore concentrate. Delivery from the port of Murmansk to the end of the Northern Sea Route took an average of 15-18 days. If we're talking about the Suez Canal, it's about 50 days."

Belarusian terminal to be built in Murmansk port

It's no coincidence that Belarus will be implementing one of its largest and most important projects in the port of Murmansk: a Belarusian terminal for the transshipment of potash fertilizers and petroleum products. According to preliminary estimates, the first cargo will arrive here in 2028.

Andrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region, Russia:

"The corresponding agreement has been signed, the legal entity has been established, and the potential volume of these cargoes is up to 30 million tons. This is a complex project, a challenging task – this cargo must be transported, which means issues with rail infrastructure, etc. My colleagues and I are working on this; we are doing everything we can to ensure that this project, from a financial perspective, is clearly structured and implemented."

Joint Projects in Mechanical Engineering

Another major joint project is the BELAZ technical support center. It opened in 2024. Today, more than 300 Belarusian mining dump trucks are operating in the Murmansk Region, and this service center provides repairs and component replacement services throughout Russia's Northwestern Federal District. Furthermore, Murmansk and Minsk are sister cities, and they have established good ties for the supply of Belarusian passenger and special-purpose vehicles.

Andrey Kostin, Deputy Mayor of Murmansk (Russia):

"As part of our rolling stock renewal, we purchased 83 buses and 29 trolleybuses for a total of 1.3 billion rubles. This is a significant sum. We also purchased 13 units of road cleaning equipment, as well as equipment for repairing asphalt pavements on roads and sidewalks, for a total of 49 million rubles."

Cooperation between Belarus and the Murmansk Region

Thanks to the preferential "Arctic Mortgage" program, Murmansk is currently experiencing a construction boom. Belarusian specialists have proven themselves in the construction of industrial facilities. Their participation in residential construction is also on the horizon.