OREANDA-NEWS. January 21, 2010. Pursuant to final calculations in 2009 Klaipeda Port handled 27,87 million tons of marine cargo, i.e. less by -6,7 percent or by 2,01 million tons than in 2008. ( see the table No.1). It is the second best handling result over the entire history of Klaipeda Port, reported the press-centre of Klaipeda Port.

This volume comprises 21,55 million tons or 77,3 percent that were loaded to ships (less by 3,0 percent than in 2008) and 6,32 million tons or 22,7 percent of cargo were unloaded (less by 17,5 percent than in 2008).

Liquid cargo (37,7 percent of total port handling) constituted the largest part of cargo handled in Klaipeda Port in 2009. Their volumes if to compare with 2008 decreased by 441,4 thousand tons or by 4,0 percent, the total turnover was 10,51 million tons. Decrease of liquid cargo handling has been affected by a reduced handling of natural and chemical fertilizers (- 325,8 thousand tons or less by 25,0 percent, totally 974,8 thousand tons were handled) and the handling of oil products (-133,7 thousand tons or less by 1,4 percent, totally 9,23 million tons were handled). In 2009 the handling of molasses increased (+16,3 thousand tons or more by 51,5 percent, totally 48,1 thousand tons were handled.

Dry cargo and bulk cargo turnover followed the turnover of liquid cargo. If to compare with 2008 their volumes remained nearly the same – 9,68 million tons were handled (34,7 percent of the total Port cargo turnover0, i.e. less by -65,8 thousand tons or by 0,6 percent. In terms of nomenclature of this cargo the turnover of ferroalloys dropped utmost (-259,5 thousand tons or less by 59,3 percent, totally 178,4 thousand tons were handled), metal scrap (-228,8 thousand tons or less by 45,2 percent, totally 277,2 thousand tons were handled). But increased turnover has been observed in handling of peat (+255,0 thousand tons or more by 3 times, totally 381,3 thousand tons were handled), agriculture products (+195,1 thousand tons or more by 11,8 percent, totally 1 852,4 thousand tons were handled) and natural and chemical fertilizers (+141,1 thousand tons of more by 2,5 percent, totally 5 702,6 thousand tons were handled.

The turnover of general cargo in Klaipeda Port dropped down by -1,51 million tons or by 16,3 percent, totally 7,68 million tons were handled (27,5 percent of total port handling volumes). Lower rates of this type of cargo comparing with 2008 were affected by container (in terms of tonnage) (-649,0 thousand tons or less by 18,5 percent, totally 2,86 million tons were handled), Ro – Ro cargo (-378,2 thousand tons or less by 10,5 percent, totally 3,22 million tons were handled), timber and forestry product cargo (-203,9 thousand tons or less by 25,0 percent, totally 431,9 thousand tons were handled) handling. But the turnover of natural and chemical fertilizers (+11,1 thousand tons or more by 3,1 percent, totally 367,8 thousand tons were handled) has increased in this sector.

In 2009 the turnover of intermodal cargo (Ro-Ro and container units) comparing with 2008 has distributed in the following way: handling of Ro – Ro units was 176,4 thousand t(-24,5 thousand units or less by 14,9 percent), container handling was 248,0 thousand TEU (-125,3 thousand TEU or less by 33,6 percent). Notwithstanding the dropped container turnover, Klaipeda Port has still remained a leader among the Baltic Ports according to the volumes of container handling.

In 2009 272,1 thousand passengers visited Klaipeda, in 2008 – 276,6 thousand, i.e. less by -4,5 thousand tons or by 1,6 percent.

The total number of vessels that called Klaipeda Port in 2009 decreased by -679,1 thousand if to compare with 2008 and made 7.529 units (-819 vessels).
 
Butinges terminal in 2009 handled 8,38 million tons of crude oil, i.e. volumes of total handling dropped down by -679,1 thousand tons or by 7,5 percent.
 
Cargo handling results of other Baltic Sea Ports
 
Cargo handling in 2009 in the Joint Port of Tallinn was 31,60 million tons (more by 8,7 percent than in 2008).

According to cargo type the turnover of liquid cargo handling increased by 12,1 percent or by +2,47 million tons, total handling rate was 23,00 million ton (72,8 percent of total port handling. Dry and bulk cargo handling increased by +48,4 percent or by+1,44 million tons, totally dry and bulk cargo turnover was 4,42 million tons ( 14,0 percent of total cargo handling). General cargo handling decreased by 24,3 percent or by -1,33 million tons, 4,13 million tons were handled (13,1 percent of total port handling).

2 620 cargo vessels called - in Tallinn Port in 2009, i.e. more by 85 vessels comparing with 2008.(+3,4 percent).

7,25 million passengers visited Tallinn Port this year , i.e. passenger flow remained nearly the same as in 2008.
 
Cargo handling volumes in Ryga Port remained nearly the same as in 2008. Nearly 29,72 million tons of cargo were handled in this Port of Latvia in 2009, more by 0,5 percent if to compare with 2008.

The turnover of dry and bulk cargo in 2009 in Ryga Seaport made 18,75 million tons (63,1 percent of total port cargo handling turnover), i.e. less by 3,0 percent comparing to 2008. Analysis of dry and bulk cargo nomenclature showed that the growth rate was recorded only in coal handling – 13,96 million tons were handled in 2009 or +1,3 percent (even 74,4 percent of total port handling). The handling of dry fertilizers reached up to 1,93 million tons (10,3 percent of total port cargo turnover), the change was - 0,4 percent.

Liquid cargo handling reached up to 6,57 million tons.(+21,0 percent, this type of cargo constituted 22,1 percent of total port handling). Oil product handling increased by +21,7 percent (99,3 percent of total liquid cargo handling) 6,52 million tons of oil products were handled.

General cargo turnover in Riga Seaport dropped down in 2009, their handling rate reached only 4,41 million tons or less by 8,4 percent as to compare with 2008(14,8 percent of total port handling). Timber handling (-241,1 thousand tons or less by -12,1 percent, totally 1,79 million tons were handled) was the cargo that dropped mostly in this cargo group. Other types of general cargo (-102,0 thousand tons or less by 66,8 percent, totally 50,9 thousand tons were handled), container handling (-48,1 thousand tons or less by 2,5 percent, totally 1,86 million tons were handled) and Ro – Ro cargo handling in 2009 was 0,61 million tons, i.e. less by -38,4 thousand tons or by 5,9 percent .

691,5 thousand passengers visited Ryga Port in 2009 and the number of passengers in 2008 was 503,2 thousand, i.e. more by 37,4 percent.
 
This year 26,64 million tons of cargo was handled in Ventspils Port (28,57 million tons in 2008, the change is-6,8 percent). Liquid cargo handling in Ventspils Port decreased by 3,0 percent, 17,37 million tons were handled (65,2 percent of total port handling), dry and bulk cargo handling dropped down by 9,0 percent, the turnover of this cargo was 7,80 million tons (29,3 percent of total port handling) and general cargo handling decreased utmost - by 31,0 percent, 1,46 million tons were handled (5,5 percent of total port handling).

In terms of cargo nomenclature the highest growth rate in 2009 was recorded in oil product and coal handling – respectively +1,02 million tons or more by 7,0 percent, totally 16,05 million tons and +0,77 million tons or more by 17,0 percent, totally 5,23 million tons were handled.

Handling volumes of fertilizers (-1,57 million tons or less by 59,0 percent, totally 1,10 million tons), crude oil (-1,04 million tons or less by 70,0 percent, totally 0,46 million tons), ammonia (–0,51 million tons or less by 42,0 percent, totally 0,71 million tons were handled), Ro-Ro cargo (–0,45 million tons or less by 33,0 percent, totally 0,91 thousand tons were handled) and container cargo (-13,8 thousand tons or less by 96, totally 5 thousand tons were handled) dropped mostly.

The number of passengers in the neighbouring port decreased even 52 percent (-16 784 passengers)in 2009 and reached scarcely 15 741 passengers.

In the course of 2009 Ventspils Port rendered services to 1 798 vessels (less by 17 percent or by 359 vessels than 2008).
 
4,38 million tons of cargo (more by 4,6 percent than in 2008) were handled in Liepoja Port in 2009. In terms of cargo type the volume of dry and bulk cargo increased by 7,5 percent up to 2,00 million tons (46 percent of total port handling volumes), general cargo handling increased by 21,4 percent up to 1,72 million tons (39 percent of total port cargo handling), meanwhile liquid cargo handling dropped down by 27,7 percent up to 0,66 million tons (15 percent of total port cargo handling) comparing to 2008.

Results of main cargo handling in Liepoja in 2009 were as follows: 1,79 million tons of grain were handled or + 26,1 (41 percent of total port cargo handling ), 0,55 million tons of timber was handled or + 18,9 percent (13 percent of total port handling), 0,53 million tons of ferroalloys were handled or +6,5 percent (12 percent of total port handling), 0,37 million tons of oil products were handled or -29,2 percent. (8 percent of total port handling), 0,35 million of Ro-Ro cargo was handled or 4 times more (8 percent of total port handling) if to compare with the corresponding period of 2008.