OREANDA-NEWS. July 05, 2011. The fleet of Azov-Don Shipping Group has carried for the past six months of this year 2,510,000 tons of cargo, up 6% over the same period last year, the shipping company said.

In the reporting period Azov-Don Shipping Company transported on Russia's inland waterways 1,127,000 tons of cargo, and 1,383,000 tons by sea.

The half-year volume includes building materials, which account for 30% of freight traffic, coal - 25%, sulfur - 20%, metals - 10%, and other cargoes - 15%.

The Group’s cargo ships call at Russian ports of Rostov, Ust-Donetsk, Astrakhan, Kavkaz, and sea ports of Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Israel.

Throughput of the Group’s stevedoring assets surged by 45% in H1, 2011, to 1,929,000 tons. Rostov Universal Port handled 777,000 tons, the port of Ust-Donetsk – 515,000 tons. Export coal account for 32% of the half-year cargo volume handled at Rostov and Krasnodar regional terminals, building materials - 31%, sulfur - 27%, scrap - 9%, other goods - 1%.

Azov-Don Shipping Company is a Transport Holding, established in 2003. The Group incorporates more than 20 companies, including shipping companies, stevedoring, logistics and development companies. The Group operates 73 river-sea going vessels with a deadweight 7,000 tons, 100 river vessels of 3,000dwt. The Company specializes in transportation of grain, coal, fertilizer, construction materials, containers and other general cargoes. The Group’s annual traffic volume exceeds 5 million tons, stevedoring companies cargo throughput is 3,9 million tons.