Container throughput down, containerization up
In the first quarter of 2009, container throughput of Big Port St.Petersburg fell 1.5 times against January-March 2008 to less than 300,000 TEU. At the same time certain types of cargo tend to containerization.
According to Mikhail Panov, Director General of Neva-Metall CJSC (one of the port’s stevedoring companies, subdivision of Severstal-Rossiyskaya Stal), container throughput of St. Petersburg port fell approximately 1.5 times from the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, the volume of cargo handled by Neva-Metall itself increased by 34% to over 480,000 tonnes of cargo including 367,500 tonnes of ferrous metal. The sea terminal managed to reach such a result primarily owing to transshipment of containerize metal. This stevedoring company had almost none of such operations before. “Containerization of ferrous metal develops because of the falling demand for this cargo from large customers amidst the crisis, while minor customers need door-to-door delivery,” Mikhail Panov told PortNews IAA. That was the reason for the company to load ferrous metal in containers.
According to the stevedore’s director, containerization is to increase in the port in the future. The plan envisages the increase of monthly container throughput to 5,000 containers or 8,500 TEU. Neva-Metall will continue implementation of its investment program for further increase of container shipment. In the nearest future, the fleet of cranes will be extended with turning systems making it possible to speed up container transshipment.
“Containerization of cargo will certainly grow,” Sergei Semenov, Development Director of NPO Morstroitekhnologii, say. The expert says containerization covers all types of cargo. When speaking about metal containerization covers mainly non-ferrous metal, then come smaller batches of ferrous metal. It is more widespread for export as the market players are interested in economizing on empty freight.
Sergei Semenov thinks the rates of container throughput decrease are to slow down in Russian ports. According to multiple international forecasts, container throughput of Big Port of St. Petersburg is to fall by 20% in 2009 against 2008.
It should be noted that despite general decrease of the container turnover in St. Petersburg port (by 1.5 times), transshipment of containers by First Container Terminal accounting for some 70% of the total volume, fell by only 22.6% to 198,357 TEU as PortNews IAA learnt from National Container Company (FCT owner).
The containerization trend stimulates St. Petersburg rivals to develop container transshipment. As PortNews IAA was informed by the Administration of Liepaja SEZ, this Latvian port plans to build two new container terminals with a perspective to handle 500,000 TEU per year.
Vitali Chernov
According to Mikhail Panov, Director General of Neva-Metall CJSC (one of the port’s stevedoring companies, subdivision of Severstal-Rossiyskaya Stal), container throughput of St. Petersburg port fell approximately 1.5 times from the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, the volume of cargo handled by Neva-Metall itself increased by 34% to over 480,000 tonnes of cargo including 367,500 tonnes of ferrous metal. The sea terminal managed to reach such a result primarily owing to transshipment of containerize metal. This stevedoring company had almost none of such operations before. “Containerization of ferrous metal develops because of the falling demand for this cargo from large customers amidst the crisis, while minor customers need door-to-door delivery,” Mikhail Panov told PortNews IAA. That was the reason for the company to load ferrous metal in containers.
According to the stevedore’s director, containerization is to increase in the port in the future. The plan envisages the increase of monthly container throughput to 5,000 containers or 8,500 TEU. Neva-Metall will continue implementation of its investment program for further increase of container shipment. In the nearest future, the fleet of cranes will be extended with turning systems making it possible to speed up container transshipment.
“Containerization of cargo will certainly grow,” Sergei Semenov, Development Director of NPO Morstroitekhnologii, say. The expert says containerization covers all types of cargo. When speaking about metal containerization covers mainly non-ferrous metal, then come smaller batches of ferrous metal. It is more widespread for export as the market players are interested in economizing on empty freight.
Sergei Semenov thinks the rates of container throughput decrease are to slow down in Russian ports. According to multiple international forecasts, container throughput of Big Port of St. Petersburg is to fall by 20% in 2009 against 2008.
It should be noted that despite general decrease of the container turnover in St. Petersburg port (by 1.5 times), transshipment of containers by First Container Terminal accounting for some 70% of the total volume, fell by only 22.6% to 198,357 TEU as PortNews IAA learnt from National Container Company (FCT owner).
The containerization trend stimulates St. Petersburg rivals to develop container transshipment. As PortNews IAA was informed by the Administration of Liepaja SEZ, this Latvian port plans to build two new container terminals with a perspective to handle 500,000 TEU per year.
Vitali Chernov