Sailing from Chennai to Russia in just 24 hours

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Sailing from Chennai to Russia in just 24 hours

New Sea Link To Vladivostok To Help Avoid Middle East

V Ayyappan & P Oppili | TNN

20.04.2021

If everything goes as per plan, giant oil tanker ships carrying crude oil or LNG may sail into Chennai from Vladivostok in Russia in a year.

Two years after it was first mooted, Chennai Port Trust will start the process to identify a consultant this week to study feasibility of a Chennai-Vladivostok sea link via the Straits of Malacca and South China Sea, covering ports in Malaysia, Philippines and South Korea.

A tender was floated in March and the technical bids will be opened on Friday. The commercial bids or final bids are expected to be opened on April 22.

The consultant will study the route, its revenue potential, the goods that can be transported and other details in around four to five months after the contract has been awarded.

The Eastern maritime corridor is shorter and ships will be able to sail to the destination in Russia in 24hours as against the longer route via Suez Canal and Europe.

The main aim of the route is to import crude oil and LNG as part of the efforts to explore import options from countries other than those in the Middle East, said an official.

ONGC Videsh has already started production in an offshore field off Sakhalin Islands in Russia. There is also scope for bringing coal, timber, machinery, agriculture produce, vehicles, tin, gold, diamond and other materials from Russia.

Sources in the Chennai Port Trust said there are some cargo movements from Chennai to Vladivostok at present. This cargo passes through Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Myanmar, Malaysia and reaches Suez Canal from there to the east coast of Russia. This also means that the cargo needs to be clubbed with those headed to other ports. So far there is no direct connectivity between Chennai port and the Russian ports. Hence it was proposed to take up the study to explore the possibility of improving the trade between the two nations.

“We feel that if a study on this route is done, it will help in understanding the potential that it will provide to those in the trade. The study will also help in learning about the types of cargo that can be transported from Chennai to Vladivostok,” said a senior official. The route is being prepared after Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed an agreement at Vladivostok in 2019.

The proposed eastern maritime corridor will link ports of Chennai, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata with those of ports in Vladivostok, Vostochny and Olga in the east coast of Russia.