UCL Port’s 1Q volumes decline 3.9% Y/Y to 9.4 million tonnes
Total cargo throughput of UCL Port, a UCL Holding’s stevedoring division in the first three month period of 2018 decreased by 3.9% on the same period a year earlier to 9.4 million tonnes, the UCL Holding press office said on Thursday.
The performance result was attributed primarily to a decline in liquid bulk segment.
Handling of dry cargo across the division’s assets rose 3% to 7.6 million tonnes, while export of liquid oil products dropped by 25.4% to 1.8 million tonnes following a decrease in customer orders at oil ports of Tuapse and Taganrog.
Exports share accounted for 86% in the 1Q volumes, down 1% year-on-year, while imports totaled 13% or 1.2 million tonnes, and short sea traffic volume accounted for 1% of the three-month throughput.
The best performance was reported in a break-bulk segment: a 9.3-percent increase to 2.6 million tonnes, primarily due to a 14.5-percent growth in ferrous metals shipments (1.9 million tonnes) and more than a twofold spike in scrap metal exports (160,000 tonnes).
Container traffic* in tonnage volume rose 6% to 2.2 million tonnes. In the first quarter Container Terminal St. Petersburg updated its previous record handling 168,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), which represents a 7% gain year-on-year and retained its top position among terminal operators in Russia. The growth of container business was reported by Sea Port of St. Petersburg JSC. Since the beginning of the year, container traffic at SP St.Pb surged by 40% to more than 6,000 TEUs.
In the reporting period handling of bulk cargoes (grab / suction cargoes) by UCL Port’s companies decreased by 4.2% to 2.8 million tonnes as coal exporters reduced (by 17% to 1,8 million tonnes) the commodity shipments through terminals in Tuapse, Taganrog, and due to adverse ice conditions prevailing in Ust-Luga port. The decline in bulk cargo segment was partially offset by a 25-percent growth in grain exports through Tuapse Grain Terminal and in the Port of Taganrog to 770,000 tonnes.
Universal Cargo Logistics Holding (UCL Holding) is the international transportation group established in 2007. The Group consolidates Freight One, an independent railway operator of a rail network throughout Russia, Russia’s North-West based stevedore companies Sea Port of St. Petersburg (SP St.Pb), Container Terminal St. Petersburg (CTSP) and Multipurpose Reloading Complex LLC (MRC), Tuapse and Taganrog sea ports located in the country’s southern region. Volga Shipping, North-Western Shipping companies, VF.Tanker and Okskaya Sudoverf Shipyard are also members of UCL Holding. The Holding’s business is split into three main activity divisions: UCL Rail, UCL Port and VBTH.
* - Including container throughput at Container Terminal St. Petersburg, Sea Port of St. Petersburg and Taganrog Sea Commercial Port (TagSCP).
** - Including volumes of alumina handled since 2017.
