Russia's Arctic port of Murmansk will use equipment typically used to load fertiliser when it ships its first grain from southern Russia for export as early as next month, as the Black Sea route remains closed due to Ukrainian drone attacks.
Murmansk is located much further away from Ukraine than Russia's Baltic ports and, unlike them, can be approached through neutral waters.
Reuters reported on Monday that Russian companies have been repurposing fertiliser, coal and other cargo terminals at Baltic and Arctic ports, including Murmansk, to handle grain exports.
Murmansk commercial port, 2,700 kilometres from Novorossiysk, Russia's main grain export gateway, said on Tuesday it would use a direct-transfer system that moves cargo from railcars straight into ships' holds, a method normally used for potash exports.
The port said it has also been adapting its conveyor systems to handle larger grain volumes.
Modern grain terminals such as those in Novorossiysk typically use storage elevators, giving operators greater flexibility. The reliance on direct transfers at repurposed terminals highlights the urgency of restoring export flows.
"For the country's economy, it is important that Russian producers have several reliable options for export logistics," Murmansk port operations director Andrei Riznichenko said in a statement.
Murmansk, Russia's fourth-largest port, has annual handling capacity of up to 24 million tonnes but has not previously handled grain. Analysts expect Russian grain exports to halve in the July to September period because of the closure of ports on the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
The export disruption has pushed down domestic grain prices and led to a build-up of unsold stocks. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia was finding alternative routes for grain exports.
(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov. Writing by Gleb Bryanski. Editing by Mark Potter)