Experts spoke about the prospects for the development of water transport infrastructure

The rivers of Siberia will become a strategic reserve for logistics against the background of shifting cargo flows to the East, and the Northern Sea Route (NSR) will be an alternative to the southern sea routes. Such assessments were given by industry experts discussing the prospects for the development of water infrastructure under the national project "Efficient Transport System".

Russia's shipping potential is very large: currently, 61 seaports and 95 river ports operate in Russia, and more than 17 thousand vessels are registered in Russian classification societies.

River transport is of particular importance. "Along with other types of transport, river transportation is an important part of the unified transport framework of the country. On behalf of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, a systematic modernization of inland waterways is underway," said Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Saveliev.

The potential for transportation by river is significant: one cargo vessel replaces 255 trucks, and the maintenance of river infrastructure costs 14.5 times less than the maintenance of highways with a comparable cargo turnover. Last year, more than 90 million tons of cargo were transported by inland waterways.

To ensure safe navigation on the rivers, hydraulic structures are being built and modernized according to the national project, dredging, riverbed clearing and shore strengthening are being carried out. Thus, the construction of the Bagaevsky hydroelectric complex and the reconstruction of the Gorodetsky hydroelectric complex are continuing. After the commissioning of these two facilities, their combined effect will increase the carrying capacity of inland waterways to 35 million tons.

"We face the most important task of developing a backbone network of inland waterways. We need to implement a set of measures aimed at reconstructing the infrastructure, ensuring the safety of navigation and increasing the volume of river transportation of both cargo and passengers," said Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin.

Experts see special prospects in the reorientation of cargo flows to the Siberian rivers. "The rivers of Siberia are not a relic of the past, but a strategic reserve for the logistics of the future. Given the shift in cargo flows to the East and the need to develop the Arctic, ignoring the most cost—effective mode of transport is an unacceptable luxury," said Sofya Katkova, an expert at the Foundation for Non—Primary Non-Energy Exports. In her opinion, the White Sea-Baltic Canal can play the same role for the ports of the White Sea that the Neva River plays for St. Petersburg. "Neva used to accept cargo from both the railway and the water; now the same situation can be applied to the ports of the White Sea," she recalled.

One of the main tasks is the development of the Transarctic Transport Corridor (TTC). This is the most effective route for the sale of products produced in the Arctic zone of Russia and the Far East, including for export.

"The Transarctic transport corridor is becoming the main alternative to the southern sea routes," said Deputy Transport Minister Alexander Poshivai. He said that eight nuclear-powered ships are operating in the Arctic. According to the deputy minister, more than 80% of world trade is accounted for by sea lines, while the reliability and stability of the Arctic route are critically important for global logistics.

The key link of the TTK is the Northern Sea Route. At the beginning of 2026, the total capacity of ports on the NSR amounted to 48 million tons with an actual cargo turnover of 31.5 million tons — 65.6% of the installed capacity. The surplus of 35-40%, according to the deputy minister, is a reserve for peak loads and a possible reorientation of the cargo range. In the near future, it is planned to increase the capacity of ports located in the contour of the Transarctic transport Corridor by about 70 million tons.

"The Ministry of Transport sees its role in providing the Northern Sea Route with an underwater infrastructure that will allow it to function as a single transport corridor. Special attention is paid not only to the economic connectivity of mining enterprises, but also to increasing the transport accessibility of the Arctic zone for the local population," stressed Alexander Poshivai.

To solve this problem, an icebreaking and rescue fleet is being built under the national project: over the past five years, five rescue vessels and three nuclear icebreakers of project 22220 have been built: Arctic, Siberia and Ural. By the end of 2030, four more new nuclear-powered ships will join the Russian icebreaking fleet. About 10 rescue vessels are also being completed.

The emphasis on the Northern Sea Route as a key transport artery is supported by an integrated approach. Along with the strengthening of the icebreaking group under the national project, there is an active digitalization of Arctic logistics — a "digital twin" of the Northern Sea Route is being created. At the same time, the coastal infrastructure is being formed: for example, last year the infrastructure facilities of the Port Bukhta Severa oil terminal were put into operation.

They are also increasing the capacity of seaports and expanding the port infrastructure in key areas. For example, the national project provides for the construction of the Lavna coal transshipment complex in the Murmansk seaport. Here, thanks to the completion of key construction stages, the capacity increase has already reached 12 million tons: 9 million tons in 2025, and another 3 million tons in early 2026.

This year, the final stage of the port infrastructure development of the Port Elga coal marine terminal at Cape Manorsky was implemented, which allowed to increase capacity by another 10 million tons. The port is the terminus of the Pacific Railway, which connected the unique coal deposit with the Sea of Okhotsk.

In general, global trade is undergoing a profound transformation today. Thus, according to Yulia Kiselyova, head of the marketing analytics department at FESCO Transport Group, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has an impact on global logistics: "We see an increase in freight rates, an increase in insurance costs, a redistribution of tonnage and route adjustments by international carriers. Any restrictions in one of the world's key transportation hubs inevitably have an impact on global supply chains. The geography of Chinese exports is changing, and the role of markets in North Africa, South America and other countries of the Global South is growing. Logistics flows are becoming more diversified."

Another important task is the development of partnerships that will make it possible to use port infrastructure in the interests of landlocked countries. "Today, maritime and logistics operators are joining forces, forming partnerships both within the country and in foreign markets. This consolidation strengthens the companies' positions and increases their competitiveness in global logistics," says Peter Ivanov, President of the FESCO Transport Group.