Port complex summarizes its results

In 2008, throughput of Russia’s port complex totaled 454.6 million tonnes (+1.1%, year-on-year). Against the 7.2-pct growth of the previous year the result of 2008 is more than a modest one. Experts say stevedoring industry was considerably influenced by the global crisis in 2008.

Fall in liquid bulk sector

Russian port complex used to show the highest growth in export of liquid bulk cargo while in 2008 the volume of liquid bulk cargo handled by Russian ports fell by 0.6% to 263.8 million tonnes (including chemicals and lubes). According to Russia’s Association of Sea Commercial Ports, the decrease should be attributed mainly to lower shipments of crude oil (-1.9%).

The increase of liquid bulk transshipment was demonstrated only by the ports of the North-WestBasin – 128.3 million tonnes (+1%). The ports of the North-West region handled 48.6% of all liquid bulk cargo of Russia. In the 12-month period, Far Eastern ports handled 24.9 million tonnes of liquid bulk cargo (-4.8%, year-on-year), Southern – 109.5 million tonnes (+1.4%) which accounts for 41.5% of all liquid bulk turnover.

Dry cargo up

In 2008, transshipment of dry cargo grew by 3.6% to 191.7 million tonnes of export and import cargo.

The ports of the North-West region were leaders in terms of both growth rates and throughput. They handled 45.2% of all dry cargo – 86.7 million tonnes (+5.1%). In the Southern Basin, transshipment of dry cargo grew by 1.7% to 49.7 million tonnes, Far Eastern – by 3.1% to 55.5 million tonnes.

ASCP attributes the increase mainly to a 5.2-pct growth of dry bulk transshipment (to 75.8 million tonnes) as well as to a 5.9-pct growth in transshipment of cargo in large-capacity containers (to 32.1 million tonnes).

Maximal growth in transshipment of containerized cargo – 5.9% - was demonstrated by the North-Western ports. In particular, the port of St. Petersburg increased container throughput by 9% to 1.98 mln TEU. Experts say the container throughput is likely to grow due to a coming commissioning of a newly built inspection complex. Time needed for inspection of one container will be reduced to 10-15 minutes thus decreasing the time for import containers at the terminal from 7-10 days to 3-4 days provided that stevedoring companies apply corresponding technology for handling containers.

Export priority

Export cargo accounted for 75.6% (343.9 million tonnes) of total throughput in Russian ports, import – 9.3% (42.1 million tonnes), transit – 8.7% (39.4 million tonnes), coastal trade cargo – 6.4% (29.3 million tonnes).

Transshipment of coal, major dry export cargo, grew by 5.3%, year-on-year, to 53.0 million tonnes. Nowadays, some 80% of Russian coal is transported by sea. The majority of national transshipment hubs are located in the Far East and at the Baltic Sea. In 2008, 48.8% of all coal was handled in the ports of Russia’s North-West Basin (25.9 million tonnes). The ports of the far Eastern Basin handled 23.1 million tonnes of coal (43.6%).

Export transshipment of metal amounted to 24.1 million tonnes (+0.7%),  mineral fertilizers – 11.7 million tonnes (-4.2%), timber – 8.9 million tonnes (-37.5%).