OREANDA-NEWS. February 26, 2010. In January 2010, despite difficult conditions for cargo handling due to unusually cold weather, Klaipeda port turnover increased by +14,1 %, in comparison to January 2009, and amounted to 2,5 million tons (increase by +313,0 thousand tons), reported the press-centre of Klaipeda port.

In terms of cargo turnover, Klaipeda port outperformed Ryga and Ventspilis ports, being second after Tallinn port. The turnover of dry and bulk cargo and also general cargo increased by +52,7 % and +21,7 %, correspondingly, while handling figures for liquid cargo decreased by -13,8 %. 

The growth of dry and bulk cargo turnover resulted from increase in handling figures for natural and chemical fertilizers –  630,9 thousand tons were handled in January 2010, while in January 2009 handling figures amounted to 366,7 thousand tons, i.e. by +56,4 % or by +264,3 thousand tons more. Turnover of primary and processed mineral deposits and construction materials increased even by +510,4 % (positive change by +91,8 thousand tons, in total 109,8 thousand tons handled). A drop was recorded in turnover of agricultural products ? in total 160,2 thousand tons handled, change by -6,7 %.

According to general cargo nomenclature, the biggest growth rates in the first month of 2010 were recorded in handling figures for Ro-Ro cargo and containerized cargo – by +40,0 % up to 288,2 thousand tons (increase by +82,3 thousand tons) and by +31,9 % up to 256,7 thousand tons (increase by +62,1 thousand tons), correspondingly. Handling figures for timber and timber products increased by 87,4 % – in total 37,7 thousand tons were handled (increase by  +17,6 thousand tons).

Comparison of nomenclatures of liquid cargo handled in January of 2010 and 2009 shows that the drop in cargo handling figures in 2010 resulted from decreased turnover of oil products (by -19,1 %, 770,8 thousand tons handled, negative change by -99,1 thousand tons). The figures for handling of natural and chemical fertilizers increased by 56,4 % up to 83,7 thousand tons (increase by +30,2 thousand tons). The main reason of decreased turnover – slower rate of product transfer from rail wagons because of exceptionally cold weather.

14.632 Ro-Ro units were handled in January 2010, i.e. by 25,2 % more than in January 2009 (increase by +2.943 units). Turnover of containers (in TEU) decreased by 6,1 %  –   to 19.804 TEU (negative change by -1.292 TEU). However, as it was mentioned above, turnover of containerized cargo in terms of tonnage increased by 31,9 %.
 
14,9 thousand passengers visited Klaipeda in January 2010, i.e. by 17,2 % more than in corresponding period of 2009.
 
In January 2010 cargo handling figures in Butinge Terminal dropped by 14,5% in comparison to January 2009 and amounted to 600,3 thousand tons.
 
Cargo turnover results at other the ports of Eastern Baltic
The largest growth in cargo turnover among Baltic ports was recorded in the port of Tallinn. In January this year the port handled 3,12 million tons of cargo, i.e. 25,4 % more than in January 2009.

In terms of  types of cargo, turnover of dry and bulk cargo increased by +298,3 % ,  to +0,67 million tons (increase by +499,3 thousand tons). Turnover of liquid cargo also increased by +4,5 %, to +2,11 million tons (increase by +90,2 thousand tons (in January 2010 liquid cargo accounted for the 67,7 % in the cargo structure of the port of Tallinn), while turnover of general cargo decreased by -2,3 % and amounted to 0,29 million tons.

Container turnover in terms of TEU, decreased by  -8,2% and amounted to 10 875 TEU.

The number of ships that called at the port of Tallinn in  January 2010 remained almost the same as in the corresponding period last year (in January 2010, 545 ships called at the port of Tallinn, i.e. by 2 ships or by 0,4 % more than in January 2009). This year 414,4 thousand passengers visited the port of Tallinn, while in January 2009 this number amounted to 441,4 thousand (negative change by -6,2 %).
 
In January 2010, the port of Ventspils handled 2,37 million tons of cargo i.e by 10,0 % less, comparing to January 2009 when these figures amounted to 2,63 million tons. This year handling of liquid cargo at the port of Ventspils decreased by -20 % (1 579 thousand tons handled), while handling of bulk and dry cargo as well as general cargo increased – by 23 % (654 thousand tons handled) and by 15 % (137 thousand tons handled), correspondingly, in comparison to January 2009.

In terms of cargo nomenclature, the biggest drop in cargo handling was recorded in crude oil (by -42 %, 80 thousand tons handled), peat (by -40 %, 3 thousand tons handled), oil products (by -20,0 %, 1,41 million tons handled), coal (by -18 %, 360 thousand tons handled). The biggest growth in cargo handling was recorded in minerals (by +767 %, 78 thousand tons handled), grain (by +373 %, 104 thousand tons handled), fertilizers (by +261 %, 65 thousand tons handled), wooden pallets (by +200 %, 9 thousand tons handled), timber (by +31 %, 47 thousand tons handled),  Ro-Ro cargoes (by +26 %, 86 thousand tons handled).

In January 2010, no containers were handled in Ventspils port,  while 60 TEU were handled in the first month of  2009).

The number of passengers in the port of neighbouring country in January 2010 increased by 142 passengers and amounted to 835, i.e. by 20 % more than in January 2009. 140 ships were serviced at the port of Ventspils in the first month of 2010 (by 18 % or 331 ships less than in corresponding period of 2009).
 
In January 2010 the handling figures in Riga port also decreased  – total turnover of this port amounted to 2,19 million tons of cargo, i.e. by -15,6 % less than in January 2009.

Turnover of bulk and dry cargo in January 2010 at the port of Riga amounted to 1,16 million tons, i.e. by -31,4 % less (or by -538,5 thousand tons less) than in January 2009. Analysis of bulk and dry cargo nomenclature showed that the biggest drop was recorded in handling of construction materials (7,3 thousand tons handled in 2010, i.e. by -62,8 % less than in January 2009), bulk fertilizers (7,3 thousand tons handled, by -42,5 % less), coal (780,2 thousand tons handled, by -41,0 % less). In January 2010 coal turnover accounted for the 35,6 % of the total cargo turnover at the port of Riga.

 In January 2010 the figures in liquid cargo handling at the port of Riga increased by +2,5 % and amounted to 649,8 thousand tons. Turnover of oil products increased by +2,1 %, 641,6 thousand tons handled, and handling figures for liquefied gas also increased by 192,9 %, 8,2 thousand tons handled.

The turnover of general cargo handled at the port of Riga in January this year also increased and amounted to 383,4 thousand tons (by +38,7 % in comparison to January 2009). In terms of general cargo, the handling results were the following: 176,8  thousand tons of timber were handled (increase by +66,8 %),  170,8 thousand tons of cargo in containers (increase by +26,4 %) and 39,9 thousand tons of Ro-Ro cargoes (drop by -4,1 %).

31,16 thousand passengers arrived to Riga port in the first month of 2010, while in the corresponding period of 2009 this figure was -24,98 thousand (change +24,8 %).
 
In January of 2010 an increase in handling results was recorded in Liepaja port– in total 311,1 thousand tons of cargo handled, i.e. by 24,5 % more than in January 2009.

In terms of cargo types, turnover of bulk and dry cargo increased by +18,4 % to 140,4 thousand tons, turnover of general cargo increased by +1,8 % to 113,8 thousand tons, and turnover of liquid cargo also increased by +194,3 %  to 56,8 thousand tons in comparison to January 2009.

The handling results of the major cargo types handled in the port of Liepaja in January 2010 were the following: grain – 131,5 thousand tons handled (by +34,6 % more than in January 2009), timber – 73,6 thousand tons handled (increase by +74,4 %), ferroalloys – 26,9 thousand tons handled (drop by -33,9 %), oil products – 34,6 thousand tons handled (increase by  +307,1 %), crude oil – 11,9 thousand tons handled (increase by  +98,3 %).