On Sakhalin, Russia's longest main conveyor, launched in February 2026 by the Vostochnaya Gornorudnaya Kompaniya (VGK), has shown successful results. The closed transport system, 23 km long, has already reached a capacity of 4 thousand tons of coal per hour.
The conveyor connects the Solntsevsky coal mine with the seaport of Shakhtersk on the western coast of Sakhalin. The project has been implemented since 2018, with construction work beginning in 2020. Construction was carried out under the Free Port of Vladivostok regime, which allowed the investor to receive tax benefits.
The main technological advantage is the closed belt type, which completely eliminates coal losses and dusting during transportation. The system removed hundreds of trucks from the route, whose coal dust polluted the environment. The rejection of road transport reduced carbon dioxide emissions and eased the burden on public roads in the Uglegorsky district.
If the conveyor belt were a freight train, it would consist of 1650 wagons. Power supply is provided by two substations - "Konveiernaya-1" and "Mayskaya". Coal mined at the mine is exported through the port of Shakhtersk to Korea, Japan, China, and other Asia-Pacific countries. After the launch of the conveyor, the company plans to reach a production and shipment of 20 million tons of coal per year.
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