OREANDA-NEWS. Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port completes construction of key new bunkerage and fuel transfer facilities, the press service of the port reported. The new facilities, part of the OJSC Importpischeprom liquid-cargo stevedore operations, are now fully operational. The complex adds projected annual capacity to handle up to 600,000 tonnes of fuel oil and 48,000 tonnes of diesel fuel to the port's overall capacity

The construction of the complex started in May 2006 at IPP's liquid-cargo stevedore operations and at wharf No. 5 of NCSP's port complex. Development and construction of the new complex is part of NCSP's ongoing $700 million investment programme to upgrade facilities and increase capacity at the port.

The new complex includes two new reservoirs for fuel oil storage, each with a volume of 5,000 cubic metres, one new reservoir for diesel oil storage with a volume of 1,000 cubic metres and a new loading jetty.

The Port of Novorossiysk is Russia's largest sea port in terms of cargo turnover volume according to the Association of Russian Sea Ports, and Europe's fifth largest commercial sea port by cargo volume in 2005, according to Global Insight/ISL. NCSP handles approximately 20% by volume of cargoes shipped through Russian sea ports according to the Association of Russian Sea Ports. IPP is a subsidiary of NCSP and the operator of a high-speed complex for shipment of liquid cargoes.

NCSP is a key Southern gateway for the import and export of a wide range of cargoes to and from the fast growing Russian economy (including oil, oil products, timber, grain, fertilizers, ferrous metals, containers, automobiles and general cargo) and is one of the major access points into the Krasnodar region.

NCSP recently consolidated its shareholdings in the majority of other operators and stevedores, including IPP, in the Port of Novorossiysk. 

In addition to its stevedore operations at the Port of Novorossiysk, NCSP operates a fleet at Novorossiysk for bunkerage and towing, maintains the largest ship repair yard in the Southern basin and operates a stevedoring company in Baltiysk (the Kaliningrad region).