Russia looks at exporting Siberian coal to Asia via the Yenisei river 

Russia is looking at shipping Siberian coal to Asia via Arctic river transport.

The ministry of transport has proposed using the ports of Krasnoyarsk and Lesosibirsk for pilot shipments of coal along inland rivers starting this summer.

“The readiness of the infrastructure of inland water transport to ensure the export transportation of coal, lumber, grain products along the river transport corridors (Ob-Irtysh and Yenisei basins) through the water area of the Northern Sea Route to the countries of Southeast Asia is being looked at,” a spokesperson for the ministry said.

Coal would be transported along the river Yenisei through to the seaport of Dudinka for reloading onto sea vessels through the waters of the Northern Sea Route. The Yenisei is the fifth-longest river system in the world, and the largest to drain into the Arctic Ocean.

At the same time, export cargoes of timber from the port of Lesosibirsk could be transported along the Yenisei and through the waters of the Northern Sea Route, a waterway Moscow is determined to open up to far greater cargo volumes this decade.