Will provide APAC steelmakers with coal from the world’s largest deposits
Dmitry Demeshin, the acting governor of Khabarovsk has said that financing for the construction of the Elga port in the region has nearly reached its ₽150 billion (US$1.7 billion) target. The port is mainly intended for the export of coal from the Elginsky deposit in Yakutia, with the rail connectivity to the Elginsky field expected to be completed in mid-2025.
The port’s capacity will be 30 million tonnes of coal per year with the possibility of increasing to 50 million tonnes. An entire city to support the ports operations will be built around Elga, connecting the Elginsky deposits and allowing coal exports to Asia-Pacific region. The Elginsky deposits are in the Sakha Republic and are the largest coking coal deposits in the world, with reserves of 2.2 billion tonnes.
![](https://russiaspivottoasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Port-Elga-1024x766.jpg)
450km of the 500km railway have already been laid, complete with required sidings and stations. This will also connect to the Baikal-Amur mainline (BAM) railway, a northern equivalent to the Trans-Siberian. A potential new export destination of note could be North Korea, which also requires coal power for much of its older generation manufacturing infrastructure. Steelmakers in the APAC region including South America are the primary end users of Elginsky coal.
The Port could also serve as a logistics hub for the Northern Sea Route.