OREANDA-NEWS. April 15, 2010. Rostov universal sea port (RUP, Rostov-on-Don) expects this year as much as 3.5 times growth year-on-year in handled volumes, to 1 million 700 thousand tons, Azov-Don Shipping Company (ADS) statement said. In 2009 the port handled more than 500.000 tons of various cargoes and 250.000 tons a year earlier.

The Port plans to have 250.000 tons of handled cargoes in Jan.-Apr. this year, as much as 13 times from 19.000 tons shipped in Jan.-Apr. 2009.

Shipments of vintage and steam coal are the major cargoes passing through the Port of Rostov. In 2010, the projected coal volume may total 1 million 100 thousand tons. In 2009 it was at 300.000 tons. The coal is exported via the RUP primarily to enterprises in Turkey, Greece and Romania.

The coal export volumes have increased thanks to completion of the first phase of the coal terminal of annual handling and storage capacity of 1.5 million tons and 120.000 tons, accordingly. Provided, the second phase is launched in 2011, the handling, storage capacity might increase to 2.5m tons and 300.000 tons.

This year Rostov port has been handling scrap metal, feldspar, aluminum hydroxide, containers and oversized cargoes.

RUP, a Multimodal Transport & Logistics Hub is located at the intersection of transportation corridors of North-South, East-West as part of a Pan-European Ring Road. The port facilities constriction project worth RUB19.9m has been implemented since 2006 by Azov-Don Shipping Company as public-private partnership. The project is included in the Federal Program "Development of Transport System of Russia 2010-2015".

Of the total project cost, 6 billion were invested from the Federal Govt. and regional budgets. The Port project is expected to be completed in 2015. In 2016 the port is said to reach its full production capacity of 16 million tons a year. The ADSC invested about 1.5 million rubles of its own and borrowed funds, creating an additional 250 jobs.

The Group of Companies Azov-Don Shipping was established in 2003. ADSC’s assets comprises more than 20 water transport enterprises, including two shipping companies, two ports, several dockyards and non-metallic enterprises, a development company.