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  • 2006 August 17

    MSTP: we are not going to loose the level of the previous year

    Murmansk Sea Trade Port OJSC (MSTP) decreased its profit in the first half by 16%, but preserved its cargo flow at the same level. Many Russian ports demonstrated similar dynamics as per results of the half-year period. Yuryi Shaginov, deputy General Director of MSTP told the correspondent of PortNews IAA about intermediate results of the port’s performance as well as about the plans on construction of new terminals.

    - Yuryi Alexandrovich, what caused the decrease of profit in the first half of 2006?

    - Profit of our port decreased owing to the reasons that are currently urgent for other ports as well. The costs of all the ports including our port increase while revenue stays at the same level. MSTP’s profit has actually decreased by almost 16% amounting to 152.7 million rubles while the revenue is almost that of the previous year  - 815.4 million tons. There is a slight growth but it is less than half a percent. At the same time the cost price under current revenue is about 8%, so that is the cost at the level of inflation.

    - What are today’s tariffs for coal at MSTP?

    - Coal transshipment and storage rates are not higher or lower than in other ports: they are almost at the same level. I know that port Vysotsk has recently raised the rates for coal. But our situation is a little bit different. Murmansk port being a remote port does not depend much on coal storage and loading rates, while other factors are more important for it. Railway rates influence our operations first of all. But I would not like to estimate activities of railway now.

    - How do you estimate the half-year results considering possible influence of railway rates and winter jams at Murmansk railway?

    - In general we consider the port’s results as positive ones. MSTP’s cargo turnover of the half-year period amounted to over 7.2 million tons. That is a 99.1% growth as compared with to the previous year. I think it is quite a good result. This year we increased coal transshipment by 80%. It is one of our basic types of cargo. We transship coal for three major companies: SUEK AG, Metchel AG and Krutrade AG.

    - General plan of port development provisions expansion of coal terminal. What stage is this project at?

    - This issue is still being developed now. For the moment being almost all the pre-project works have been finalized. We plan to commence construction of a new terminal soon. I Can’t name the date exactly but I think it will be in 2007.

    - The plan of port development also provisions construction of a new container terminal, isn’t it?

    - Even now Murmansk Sea Trade Port is able to handle large amounts of cargo. We formed this cargo flow long time ago. Our facilities may completely satisfy shippers’ orders. The majority of container cargo goes to Norilsk Nickel mining company. Along with construction of a coal terminal the plan of port development also implies construction of a container terminal. Pre-project works are also under finalization. We already have all necessary infrastructure for construction of the terminal – railroad siding facilities, motor rods as well as engineering networks and communications.

    - You should have made some forecasts as regards port’s cargo turnover at the beginning of the year. How close are they to the intermediate results?

    - Initially we hoped that turnover of the port would stay at the level of the previous year – 14.5 million tons. Considering the results of first 7 months we’ll manage to meet this “schedule”. Cargo turnover of MSTP over seven months is over 8.5 million tons – 100.1%, as compared with the previous year. That is just the result of the previous period we planned to achieve this year.
     
    Larisa Chausova 
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