Nine-month cargo volume of UCL Port rises 8% to 22.7 million tonnes
Handling of different cargoes in the nine-month period by terminal operators of UCL Port, a stevedoring division of UCL Holding increased by 8% year-on-year to 22.7 million tonnes, the Holding said in a press release.
The growth is due, primarily, to an increase in the dry cargo segment - to 17.6 million tonnes, which represents a 12% gain from last year. Handling of liquid cargo fell 3% to 5.1 million tonnes, the report said.
The nine-month cargo volume includes: exports - 19.2 million tonnes (accounts for 84.6% of the total throughput), imports - 3.5 million tonnes (15 3%) and 13,900 tonnes of short sea freight ((0.1%).
Cargo volume handled at the terminals of JSC Sea Port Saint-Petersburg rose 7% y-o-y to 6.2 million tonnes, CJSC Container Terminal Saint Petersburg handled 3.1 million tonnes (+10%), Multipurpose Transshipment Complex - 2.9 million tonnes (+ 13%), JSC Tuapse Commercial Sea Port (TMTP) - 9.7 million tonnes (+ 9%) and JSC Taganrog Commercial Seaport - 0.9 million tonnes (-14%).
There was a 18% growth in the bulk segment (grab/suction) to 8.2 million tonnes. The growth was driven by grain cargo volume which jumped by 2.6 times from last year's figure to 1.3 million tonnes, primarily shipped through the port of Tuapse. Continued trends in energy demand from European consumers ensured positive dynamics in coal shipments by 9.6% to 5.3 million tonnes, through the terminal of Multipurpose Transshipment Complex in Ust-Luga.
The Group reported also a 4.4% gain (to 6.2 million tonnes) in the general cargo segment. The recovery of demand in the world markets handling of ferrous metals exceeded last year's figure by 3% and amounted to 3.2 million tonnes. Thanks to modern equipment scrap metals throughput soared twofold to 1.3 million tonnes, while shipment of non-ferrous metals (aluminum) due to market factors dropped by 25% to 0.9 million tonnes.
There was a 27% decline in the segment of Ro-Ro cargo, largely imported cars, to 34,000 units, which reflects general trends in the Russian car market.
Oil products volume fell 3% to 5.1 million tonnes due to the redistribution of part of export cargo flows to the marine terminal of JSC Rosneft (Piers No 1A and 1B) and the reconstruction of Tuapse refinery.
In the reporting period container traffic remained flat on last year's figure, at 315,000 TEUs.
Universal Cargo Logistics Holding (UCL Holding) is an international transportation holding company that is comprised of: stevedoring companies of Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg and Universal Handling Complex in the North-West Russia; Tuapse and Taganrog ports in the South of the country; Volga Shipping, North-West Shipping and Western Shipping companies; as well as a number of shipbuilding, shipping, railway and logistics assets. The group's business is divided into three divisions: UCL Rail, UCL Port and VBTH. UCL Port consolidates JSC Sea Port St. Petersburg, CJSC Container Terminal Saint Petersburg, Universal Handling Terminal LLC based in North-West of Russia, the southern ports of Taganrog and Tuapse. Stevedoring assets of UCL Port handle a wide range of goods, including metals, coal, grain, fertilizers, oil and petroleum products. The total storage area operated by the group's companies encompasses nearly 700,000 sqm. Total quay length is about 10 km.
