NW Shipping sees 29% gain in Q1 traffic volume, to 1.56m tonnes
The volume of cargo transported by JSC North-Western Shipping Company (NWSCO) in January-March 2013 rose 29% from the same period a year earlier, to 1.56 million tonnes, the carrier’s press release said.
Export shipments rose 19%, to 640,000 tonnes, imports – jumped by 51%, to 172,000 tonnes. The volume of cargo carried on foreign trades surged by 36% to 744,000 tonnes, including 346,000 mt of ferrous metals, 116,000 mt of construction materials and 336,000 mt of chemical fertilizers.
Grain volume transported in the first quarter period was flat on the 2012’s figures (311,000 mt).
"Traffic growth was driven, in particular, by the commissioning into service of new high-performance vessels. There have been ten vessels of DCV36 project (YB 2011-2012) deployed early this year on shipping lanes, and two ships of project RSD49,” the Company said.
North-Western Shipping Company is the largest carrier in Russia’s water transport system, specializing in shipping import / export general cargo, bulk, suction and grab bulk cargoes, oversized cargo and vessels. The company’s fleet comprises about 101 cargo ships of total 350,000 DWT, including 85 mixed sailing river-sea vessels, 6 barges, 7 tugboats and 3 auxiliary ships.
The North-Western Shipping Company transports 6 million tonnes of different cargo a year. The Company is member of VBTH, a shipping division of UCL Holding, majority-owned by VBTH), consolidating a number of Russian rail, stevedoring and logistics assets. The division also includes Volga and Western Company, several cruise and shipbuilding companies.
