OREANDA-NEWS. July 18, 2008. By cargo handling data for the period January through June, 2008, cargo turnover at Klaipeda Port has increased by one fifth during the first half of this year, reported the press-centre of Klaipeda port.

In January-June, 2008 the port of Klaipeda handled 15,82 million tons of cargo, which  is higher by +20,5 percent in comparison to the same period of 2007.

There was a growth of all cargo types (general, dry and bulk, liquid) in the first half of 2008.

Growth of liquid cargoes resulted from increase in handling of oil products, which comprise the major share (85 percent) of this type of cargo. In the first half of this year the turnover of oil products increased by +33,3 proc. (5,17 million tons were handled in January-June of 2008, while in January-June of 2007 – 3,88 million tons). Growth of +5,2 percent was recorded in handling of liquid fertilizers (746 thousand tons of liquid fertilizers were handled in the first half of this year).

Increase in dry and bulk cargo turnover was influenced by significant growth in handling of agriculture products (2,2 times), raw sugar (2,2 times), ferroalloys (+57,4 percent) and bulk fertilizers (+31,2 percent).

In comparison to the corresponding period of last year there was also an increase in turnover of containers (in terms of tonnage) (+24,5 percent), timber products (+11,0 percent) and refrigerated cargoes (+5,0 percent) in the port.

Handling figures for molasses (–68,2 percent), peat (–55,0 percent), packed natural and chemical fertilizers (-11,9 percent), Ro-ro cargoes (in terms of tonnage) (–11,1 percent) and scrap metal (–7,1 percent) decreased at Klaipeda seaport.

Container handling (in terms of TEU) in Klaipeda port grew by +20,8 percent, while ro-ro unit handling decreased by -4,4 percent in comparison to the first half of 2007.

The total number of passengers visiting the port by ferry In the first six months grew by 2,5 percent and amounted to 119,9 thousand.

In June of 2008, 2,86 million tons of cargo were handled at Klaipeda Port, i.e. the monthly handling figures increased by 27,2 percent in comparison to the same period in 2007.

In January-June of 2008, the port of Saint-Petersburg handled 29,58 million tons of cargo (+4,4 percent). In the first half of this year turnover in the Russian port has increased in terms of all cargo types: liquid cargo handling by +3,9 percent, dry and bulk by +3,8 percent, general cargo by +4,7 percent. By cargo nomenclature, the growth was recorded in handling of minerals (+59,0 percent), container (in terms of tonnage) (+14,8 percent), refrigerated cargoes (+12,3 percent) and fertilizers (+11,9 percent). The most significant drop in handling figures was recorder in handling of grain (-41,4 percent), coal (-24,4 percent), ferrous metals (-19,6 percent) and scrap metal (-12,5 percent).

In January-June of this year the port of Primorsk handled  +2,3 percent more  raw oil in comparison to the same period of 2007 (37,3 million tons - in January-June of 2008, while 36,4 million tons in January-June of 2008).
 
In January-June of 2008, the port of Tallinn handled 14,79 million tons of cargo (-31,9 percent change in comparison to the same period of 2007). By cargo types, the handled volumes of dry and bulk cargoes decreased by -69,6 percent or by –4,28 million tons, liquid cargoes by –20,6 percent or by –2,68 million tons, while the general cargo turnover increased  by +1,1 percent or by +28,3 thousand tons. Liquid cargoes accounted for the major share, i.e.  70,0 percent in the general cargo structure at Tallinn Port.

In the first half of this year 1150 freight ships called at the port of Tallinn, in comparison to the same period of 2007 – 1555 ships (change –26,0 percent).

In the first six months of this year 3,32 million passengers visited the port of Tallinn, while the number of passengers in January-June of 2007 was 2,88 million (change +15,3 percent).
 
In January-June of 2008 the port of Ventspils handled 14,95 million tons of cargo, while in the first six months of 2007 – 16,09 million tons. Handling of liquid cargoes has decreased by -3,2 percent, i.e. 9,79 million tons of cargo were handled. Decrease was recorded in handling of general cargoes by–14,4 percent (1,09 million tons handled), dry and bulk cargoes  by –13,6 percent in comparison to the same period of 2007 (4,06 million tons handled).

In terms of cargo nomenclature, the largest growth in cargo handling in the port of Ventspils was recorded in the following cargo types: metal works (2 times), ammonia (+41,8 percent), grain (+10,5 percent) and coal (+7,9 percent). Turnover of the principal transit cargoes namely oil products and bulk fertilizers was as follows: amount of oil products handled in January-June of 2008 was 8,30 million tons (-1,1 percent), bulk fertilizers – 1,13 million tons (–40,5 percent).

In the first half of this year the port of Ventspils handled 86 thousand tons of containerized cargoes (last year handled 80 thousand tons). The number of passengers in neighboring country port is significantly decreasing, i.e., in the first six months of this year the number of passengers in the port of Ventspils was 12,67 thousand (–40,7 percent less in comparison to the same period of 2007). 1083 ships called at this Latvian port in January-June of 2008 (20 ships less than in January-June of 2007).
 
In January-June of 2008 the port of Riga handled 14,37 million tons of cargo, which is by  14,1 percent more than in January-June of 2007. The turnover at this port continues to grow mainly due to increase in handling of dry and bulk cargoes (+28,3 percent) - 9,36 million tons of such cargoes were handled, i.e. 2,06 million tons more in comparison to January-June of last year. Coal handling increased by+1,73 million tons or by +35,2 percent, grain by +143,4 thousand tons or +3,1 times, construction materials by +31,9 thousand tons or by +10,4 percent in comparison to last year. Coal handling accounted for 46,3 percent of the general Riga port cargo turnover.

In the first half of this year liquid cargo turnover in the port of Latvia increased by +0,8 percent, in comparison to the same period of last year, and amounted to 2,53 million tons. Handling of oil products, which accounts for 99 percent of total liquid cargoes, increased respectively by 0,5 percent.

The amount of general cargo handled in the port of Riga continues decreasing; 2,48 million tons were handled (-11,1 percent less than in January-June of last year). In terms of general cargo nomenclature, timber accounted for 1,12 million tons (–25,3 percent), and containerized cargoes 0,94 million tons (+1,7 percent).

In the first six months of this year 182,4 thousand passengers visited the port of Riga, while in January-June of 2007 this figure was 160,0 thousand (change +14,0 percent).