OREANDA-NEWS. Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port Group (NCSP Group or the Group) (LSE: NCSP, Moscow Exchange: NMTP) announces today that its subsidiary Baltic Stevedore Company (“BSC”) has completed a key phase in the construction of warehouse facilities as part of a project to build a 400 ths TEU per year container terminal BSC. The expansion of warehousing territory to 5.6 hectares has increased throughput capacity and improved logistics on the territory of the port.

Since October 2013 BSC has leased an additional 254 metre long, 8,000 m2 pier from Rosmorport. The configuration of the pier makes it possible to handle cargoes of up to 150 tonnes using tandem cranes.

The two piers at BSC are equipped with three LIEBHERR LHM-400 mobile cranes with a lift capacity of 104 tonnes. The ability of the cranes to move around the port freely makes it possible to handle simultaneously two ships moored at the piers.

The warehouse area is equipped with six RTG cranes for container handling. Baltic Stevedore Company's current warehouse capacity can store up to 5,500 TEU of containers stacked five or six high.

As part of the investment contract signed with Rosmorport, BSC plans to invest up to RUB 1.5 billion into increasing the port's capacity.

The project includes:

- Construction of 7.8 hectares of warehouse territory and trailer-tucks parking areas;

- Construction of port terminal buildings and facilities, including customs checkpoint facility;

- Repairs and upgrades to pier #2 to increase load capacity, in order to make possible the use of STS container loaders on the pier;

- Construction of a new ferry berth #3 at the northern end of the harbour to handle Ro-Ro ships;

- Dredging of the harbour by piers #1 and #3 as well as in the turning basin to increase depth to 10.5 metres;

- Acquisition of new pier and warehouse container handling equipment.

PJSC NCSP CEO Yuri Matvienko said: “At the end of 2012 this terminal was able to handle up to 175 ths TEU per year before requiring the use of additional warehouse space outside of the port complex. This year we have invested RUB 414 million into the development of the terminal, and annual capacity will increase to 260 ths TEU by the end of 2013, with container turnover time of seven days. Upon completion of the investment project, the terminal's annual capacity is expected to reach 400 ths. TEU.”