Russian state port infrastructure operator Rosmorport has begun dredging at the Port of Korsakov on Sakhalin Island, the Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot) said on Monday, November 2.
The work forms part of the Logistics Technopark (Korsakov Port) transit hub project. About 1.5 million cubic metres of material will be removed by 2029 to bring depths to a design level of 11.4 metres.
Rosmorrechflot said this will increase the port's throughput and give access to large-tonnage vessels with draughts of up to nine metres, including fishing vessels.
The fish port operating waters and approach channel will be reconstructed first. Work will then move to the operating waters of the southern loading area.
Rosmorrechflot said the programme will take account of all environmental restrictions set for the area.
Revised documentation for the project's second construction phase, which split these two areas into separate facilities, received a positive state assessment on July 30. The Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources approved a positive environmental assessment for the phase on September 24.
Rosmorport had outlined plans to acquire additional dredging vessels for Korsakov in February.
Modernisation of Korsakov began in 2024 with the aim of creating a deepwater port of refuge in southern Sakhalin.
The wider scope includes reconstruction of berths one through four and the approach bridge linking them to shore, which is intended to increase handling of general cargo and fish products. A breakwater more than 383 metres long and about 22.7 metres wide will be built for the southern loading area to protect vessels and port infrastructure from storms and waves.