Russia has begun construction of the planned deepwater Nayba cargo terminal at Tiksi in the Sakha Republic, with a temporary berth as the project’s first stage.
Nikolai Patrushev, aide to the Russian President and Chairman of the Maritime Board, formally launched construction on Tuesday, September 15. The first construction machinery has reached the site, while specialists have started engineering surveys for the berth.
The temporary facility will receive heavy project cargo for the Kychus gold deposit. Cargo will then move inland over the Nayba–Kychus winter road, with permanent port infrastructure intended to replace the initial berth.
Taimyr Invest is the terminal’s infrastructure operator and main investor. The start of work follows an agreement signed at the 2026 Eastern Economic Forum covering the first construction stage, access routes and supporting infrastructure.
Gold producer Seligdar is participating in the port development as it advances the planned Kychus mining and metallurgical complex. The company estimates that construction of the complex will require more than 30,000 tonnes of cargo annually, rising above 300,000 tonnes once the facility enters operation.
The logistics plan includes a winter road of about 350 kilometres linking Nayba with Ust-Kuyga and the future processing complex. Earlier plans called for the route to be developed into a year-round two-lane road.
Seligdar’s published project schedule targets annual gold production of 10 tonnes. Russian state reserves authorities approved updated Kychus reserves of 188.6 tonnes of gold in September, at an average grade of 6.25 grams per tonne.
The permanent terminal is intended to handle northern supply deliveries and mineral cargoes while supporting the proposed Mohe–Nayba–Magadan transport corridor. The wider project would combine rail, river, port and Arctic shipping infrastructure to connect north-eastern China with Yakutia and overseas markets.
A financial model prepared by Yakutia’s government, its regional development corporation and the Crystal of Growth Foundation estimated eventual corridor capacity at 30 million tonnes per year. The model put total investment at RUB1.13 trillion ($13.41 billion), while a separate project announcement identified an initial potential flow of 2.0 million tonnes annually.
Proposed infrastructure includes a combined crossing over the Amur River and new railway links from Nizhny Bestyakh to Nayba and Magadan. The planned lines would extend about 1,300 kilometres to Nayba and 1,670 kilometres to Magadan.
Earlier regional plans valued full development of Nayba port at more than RUB85 billion. Preliminary assessments placed water depth at the selected site at about 14–17 metres, although engineering surveys are required to establish the terminal boundaries and final berth configuration.