OREANDA-NEWS. September 09, 2009. During January-August 2009 17,84 million tons of cargo was handled in Klaipeda port, i.e. by -13,7 percent or by 2,83 million tons less than during the same period last year. Since May this year, when 2,32 million tons of cargo was handled, Klaipeda port monthly turnover did not fall more than 2,23 million tons, and the turnover of August was the biggest this year, reported the press-centre of Klaipeda port.
 
The biggest growth rates during January-August this year were reached in handling agricultural products (+277,7 thousand tons, difference +36,0 percent), bulk peat (+160,3 thousand tons, difference +3,1 times) and packed fertilizers  (+14,6 thousand tons, difference +6,0 percent, comparing to January-August 2008.
 
2,46 million tons of cargo was handled during August 2009, i.e. by +1,2 percent more than during August last year. It is not only the biggest monthly turnover this year, but for the first time it is bigger than monthly turnover during 2008.

During the last summer month of 2009 stevedoring volumes of liquid cargo were by 1,2 percent bigger than during January-August 2008. During August this year the turnover of bulk and dry bulk cargo increased by 28,9 percent, and general cargo volumes decreased by  23,1 percent, comparing to August 2008.

The growth of the stevedoring volumes of liquid cargo further on is predetermined by oil products handling (during August 2009, 768,4 thousand tons were handled, during August 2008 – 723,5 thousand tons, difference +44,9 thousand tons). Comparing to August last year, there mostly decreased stevedoring volumes of liquid fertilizers ( during August 2009, 120,3 thousand tons were handled, during August 2008  – 151,3 thousand tons, difference -31,0 thousand tons).

Comparing August 2009 and 2008 among the types of bulk cargo, as the Belarus transit fertilizers volumes going to India have increased there increased stevedoring volumes of bulk cargo (+306,8 thousand tons, 635,4 thousand tons were handled, difference +1,9 times) in Klaipeda port. The growth was observed in stevedoring volumes of agricultural products (+35,8 thousand tons, 131,3 thousand tons were handled, difference +37,5 percent). During August this year 38,7 thousand tons of peat was handled and in August 2008 there was no peat at all. During the last summer month of 2009 there mostly decreased stevedoring volumes of minerals and building materials (-78,5 thousand tons, 57,1 thousand tons were handled, difference -57,9 percent), scrap metal (-37,8 thousand tons, 24,8 thousand tons were handled, difference -60,4 percent) and raw sugar (-25,4 thousand tons, 24,1 thousand tons were handled, difference -51,3 percent), comparing to August last year. 

Among the types of general cargo there was no growth in stevedoring volumes during August 2009. Most of all there decrease containers (from the point of view of tonnage) (-89,6 thousand tons, 227,1 thousand tons were handled, difference -28,3 percent), Ro-Ro cargo (from the point of view of tonnage) (-41,2 thousand tons, 281,2 thousand tons were handled, difference -12,8 percent), cold cargo (-16,4 thousand tons,  15,0 thousand tons were handled, difference -52,2 percent) and iron and steel products (-14,3 thousand tons, 21,3 thousand tons were handled, difference - 40,3 percent), comparing to August last year. 

Container TEU turnover during August this year was by -47,0 percent than during August 2008 (during August 2009 17 932 TEU was handled, difference -15 888 TEU). Ro-Ro units handling decreased by -16,1 percent (during August 2009, 16 769 units were handled, difference -3 222 units). Stable growth is observed in 2009Ro-Ro cargo turnover which makes 6-7 percent monthly (during January 2009, 11,7 thousand units were handled, and during August – 16,8 thousand Ro-Ro units).
 
Cargo turnover of Butinge terminal during August 2009 was by one tenth less: 800,8 thousand tons were handled, i.e. by  -10,8 percent less than during the same period 2008.
 
During January-August 2009, 196,74 thousand passengers visited Klaipeda port, i.e. by 3,8 percent less than during the same period 2008, including 26,3 thousand cruise passengers, i.e. by 3,5 percent more than during January-August last year.