The Primorsk-located facility would handle fertilisers, some 11-12mt per year, with the first shipments arriving in 2023 and the construction fully completed in 2024.

The intention comes from the decision of Lithuanian Railways to terminate, on 1 February 2022, the contract with Belaruskali, one of the world's largest producers of potash fertilisers (accounting for one-fifth of the global supply in 2019).

Belarus has redirected its fertiliser rail cargo flows away from the Lithuanian Port of Klaipėda to Russian Baltic seaports, which, however, don't have the capacity to take care of all the volume.

According to Belsat, Belaruskali provided around one-third of the rail traffic to Klaipėda. One-tenth of Belaruskali's fertilisers was sold to the EU, while the rest mainly headed to Brazil, China, and India. The Norwegian Yara, reported to take in some 10-15% of Belaruskali's output, said the company will stop buying from Belarus.

The halt and redirection of Belaruskali's fertiliser transportation have resulted from US' sanctions against Belarus' government.

In retaliation, the Belarusian government has banned transit cargo from Lithuania.

Source: PortNews.ru