OREANDA-NEWS. December 17, 2009. Growing cargo turnover at Klaipeda port since the middle of this year and its record results in November – 2,53 mln. tons (increase by +5,4 % comparing to November, 2008), brought Klaipeda port among the  Eastern Baltic top-three ports again, leaving Ventspils port behind – on the fourth place. In January-November of 2009 the Klaipeda port handled 25,04 million tons of marine cargo, i.e. by -9,6 % or 2,66 million tons less than in corresponding period of 2008, reported the press-centre of Klaipeda port.
 
In terms of nomenclature of liquid cargo handled in the first eleven months of 2009, growth was recorded only in turnover of molasses – by +1,8 times (42,1 thousand tons handled in January-November 2009, and 22,8 thousand tons handled in January-November 2008, change +19,3 thousand tons). Changes in turnover of liquid cargo in the port mostly resulted from decrease in handling of liquid fertilizers – by 28,9 % (-887,5 thousand tons handled in January-November 2009, 1247,9 thousand tons handled in January-November 2008, change -360,5 thousand tons) and oil products – by -1,7 % (8,36 million tons handled in January-November 2009, 8,50 million tons in January-November 2008, change -143,7 thousand tons).

In January-November this year, figures for dry and bulk cargo turnover showed further growth in terms of peat (+220,29 thousand tons, 331,9 thousand tons handled, change by +3,0 times) and agricultural products (+142,2 thousand tons, 1,59 million tons handled, change +9,8 %). In the first eleven months this year the biggest drop was recorded in handling of ferroalloys (-245,8 thousand tons, 172,7 thousand tons handled, change -58,7 %), scrap metal (-223,6 thousand tons, 249,1 thousand tons handled, change -47,3 %), dry fertilizers (-112,1 thousand tons, 5,12 million tons handled, change -2,1 %), mineral deposits and construction materials (-96,9 thousand tons, 774,4 thousand tons handled, change -11,1 %) and raw sugar (-79,1 thousand tons, 247,9 thousand tons handled, change -24,2 %), comparing to the corresponding period of 2008.

In terms of nomenclature of general cargo handled in January-November this year, there was no growth. The biggest drop in handling volumes was recorded in containers (by tonnage)     (-738,5 thousand tons, 2,53 million tons handled, change -22,6 %), Ro-ro cargo (by tonnage) (-432,2 thousand tons, 2,95 million tons handled, change -12,8 %), timber (-214,2 thousand tons, 386,8 thousand tons handled, change -35,6 %), iron and metal ware (-136,9 thousand tons, 323,32 thousand tons handled, change -29,7 %) and frozen products (-75,6 thousand tons, 276,0 thousand tons handled, change -21,5 %).

In January-November 2009, handling of container units (by TEU) at the port decreased by  -35,7 % in comparison to the corresponding period of 2008 (222 626 TEU handled in January-November 2009, change -123 437 TEU). Turnover of Ro-ro units decreased by -16,6 % (162 418 units handled in January-November 2009, change -32 348 units).
 
257,1 thousand passengers arrived/departed to/from Klaipeda port during the period from January to November 2009, i. e. by 2,5 % less than in January-November last year.
 
In January-November 2009 Butinge Terminal handled 7,82 million tons of crude oil, i.e. cargo handling figures of the terminal in the first eleven months of 2009 decreased by 5,4 % in comparison with the corresponding period of 2008, when 8,27 million tons of crude oil were handled.

In the first eleven months this year the Port of Tallinn handled 28,49 million tons of cargo (change +7,1 %, in comparison to January-November 2008).

In terms of various types of cargo handling, turnover of general cargo decreased by -23,1% or by -1,06 million tons (3,54 million tons handled), while dry and bulk cargo handling increased by +24,0 % or by +802,3 thousand tons (4,14 million tons handled), liquid cargo – by +11,9 % or +2,20 million tons (20,76 million tons handled). Liquid cargo accounted for the major share (77,9 %) in the general structure of cargo at the port of Tallinn.

In January-November 2009, 2 404 freight ships called at the port of Tallinn, i.e. by 82 ships more than in the same period of 2008.

This year 6,74 million passengers visited the port of Tallinn, i.e. the passenger flow remained at the same level as in January-November, 2008.
 
In January-November 2009 the port of Riga handled 27,24 million tons of cargo, i.e. by +1,3 % more in comparison with the corresponding period in 2008. The turnover at the port of Riga continues growing due to increase in handling of the following cargo: oil products (+24,6 %) and coal (+4,0 %).

Turnover of bulk and dry cargo in January-November 2009 at the port of Riga amounted to 17,28 million tons, i.e. by -1,5 % less, in comparison with January-November 2008. In terms of bulk and dry cargo nomenclature, the biggest growth was recorded only in handling of coal, 12,90 million tons handled in January-November 2009 or by +4,0 % more than in January-November 2008 (12,41 million tons). Turnover of dry fertilizers amounted to 1,81 million tons, i.e. change, in comparison to January-November 2008, amounted to 3,8 %. Coal turnover exceeded 47 % of the total cargo turnover at the port of Riga.
 
In the first eleven months of 2009 the figures in liquid cargo handling at the port of Riga increased by +23,8 % and amounted to 6,0 million tons. Handling of oil products, which accounts for 99,4% of total liquid cargo turnover, increased by +24,6 %, (5,96 million tons handled).

The volume of general cargo handled at the port of Riga in January-November this year decreased; 3,97 million tons were handled (-11,7 %, in comparison with January-November 2008). In terms of general cargo, the biggest drop was recorded in handling of timber (-16,5 %, 1,62 million tons handled) and cargo in containers (-13,5 %, 165 480 TEU handled). In January-November this year 559,3 thousand tons of Ro-Ro cargo were handled, i.e. by -7,9 % less than in corresponding period of 2008.

 648,3 thousand passengers arrived/departed to/from Riga port in the first eleven months 2009, while in corresponding period of 2008 this figure was 465,5 thousand (change +39,3 %).
 
In January-November this year, the port of Ventspils handled 24,50 million tons of cargo (25,89 million tons in January-November 2008, change -5,4 %). In January-November 2009, handling of liquid cargo at the port of Ventspils decreased by -1,3 % (15,93 million tons handled), handling of bulk and dry cargo decreased by -6,8 % (7,22 million tons handled), and general cargo decreased by -32,7 % (1,34 million tons handled), in comparison with January-November of 2008.

In terms of cargo nomenclature, the biggest growth in cargo handling in January-November 2009 was recorded in oil products – by +1,12 million tons (14,67 million tons handled in January-November 2009, change +8,3 %) and coal – by +0,87 million tons (4,87 million tons handled in January-November 2009, change +21,6 %). Cargo handling figures continue decreasing for the following cargo types at the port of Ventspils: fertilizers by -1,38 million tons (1,06 million tons handled in January-November 2009, change -56,5 %), raw oil by -917 thousand tons (454 thousand tons handled in January-November 2009, change -66,9%), Ro-Ro cargoes by -449 thousand tons (839 thousand tons handled in January-November 2009, change -34,9 %) and ammonia by -435 thousand tons (665 thousand tons handled in January-November 2009, change -39,5 %).

The number of passengers in the neighbouring country in January-November 2009 decreased by 16 889 passengers and amounted only to 14 532, i.e. by -53,8 % less than in January-November 2008.

1 642 ships were serviced at the port of Ventspils in the first eleven months 2009 (by 331 ships less than in corresponding period of 2008).
 
In January-November 2009 the port of Liepaja handled 3,96 million tons of cargo (+1,4 % more than in January-November 2008). In terms of cargo types, turnover of bulk and dry cargo increased by +3,4 % (1,79 million tons handled in January-November 2009), turnover of general cargo increased by +19,4 % (1,58 million tons handled in January-November 2009), and turnover of liquid cargo decreased by -30,9 % (586,9 thousand tons handled in January-November 2009) in comparison to January-November 2008.

Handling results of the major cargo types handled in the port of Liepaja in January-November of 2009 were as follows: grain +21,9 % (1,60 million tons handled, change +287,8 thousand tons), timber +14,1 % (486,8 thousand tons handled, change +60,3 thousand tons) more and metals -2,3 % (469,9 thousand tons, change -11,1 thousand tons), oil products -35,8 % (309,8 thousand tons handled, change -172,7 thousand tons) less in comparison to the same period of 2008.