REVIEW OF CARGO HANDLING IN KLAIPEDA SEAPORT, AT BUTINGĖS TERMINAL AND
OTHER EASTERN COAST BALTIC SEAPORTS
January – February of 2014
The aggregate throughput of Klaipeda Port and at Butingės terminal in January – February of 2014
totalled 6,5 mln. tn of seaborne cargo: 5,5 mln. tn were handled in Klaipeda Seaport (the year-on-year
change was -10,8 pct. or -662,3 thou. tn) and 1 mln. tn were handled at Butinges Terminal (the year-onyear change was -37,2 pct. or -595,2 thou. tn).
In January – February of 2014 the best result in Klaipeda Port was achieved in the turnover of dry and bulk
cargo: totally 2 494,1 thou. tn, i.e. more by +0,7 pct. than within the period of two first months of 2013 were
handled. This result was achieved due to increased (+5,2 pct.) throughput of bulk natural and chemical
fertilizers : 1 257,1 thou. th were handled (the yoy change was +62,1 thou. tn). The handling rates of other
categories of cargo making impact on the throughput of this cargo group also showed the increase: ore (218,7
thou. tn, +216,2 pct. or +149,6 thou. tn yoy), raw and processed minerals, construction materials (372,8 thou.
tn, +18,1 pct. or +57,1 thou. tn yoy) and scrap metal (63,3 thou. tn, +185,1 pct. or +41,1 thou. tn yoy). The
throughput of agriculture products that achieved the record in 2013 dramatically dropped down in January –
February of the current year: 445,2 thou. tn were handled, the year-on-year change was -35,1 pct. or -241,1
thou. tn.
Decreased profitability of oil refining in the world market resulted into the gradual decrease of the overall
turnover of liquid cargo : 875,4 thou. tn of oil products were transhiped in January – February of the current
year (the change was -46 pct. or -744,9 thou. tn yoy). The handling rates of liquid fertilizers and molasses
dropped down to 203 thou. tn (-32,7 pct. or -98,8 thou. tn yoy) and 12,9 thou. tn (-62,3 pct. or -21,3 thou. tn
yoy) respectively.
In January – February of 2014 the most rapid turnover was recorded in the group of general cargo: 1 822,7
thou. tn were handled (the yoy change was +167,1 thou. tn). Such growth was determined by continuously
increasing turnover of containerised cargoes that jumped up from the forth position in the overall port
handling rankings to the second position: – 871,9 thou. tn were handled (+32,9 pct) or 70 750 in terms of
TEU. The handling turnover of Ro-Ro cargoes fell from the third position to the forth: 688,3 thou. tn were
handled (the yoy change was -7,5 pct. or -55,5 thou. tn). The Port still has handled the large amounts of
fertilizers (1 574,7 thou. tn), including the handling of packed fertilizers that increased by +36,2 pct. to 114,7
thou. tn.
Altogether 940 vessels were reported to call Klaipeda Port and Butingės terminal in January – February of
2014. 10 vessels moored at Butingės terminal. Klaipeda Seaport received 930vessels (less by -16,1 pct. or
by -178 vessels comparing with the corresponding period of 2013 ).
The number of passengers within the analysed period was 34 686 passengers, i.e. more by +2,1 pct. or by
710 passengers comparing with the first two months of the previous year.
2
Container handling in the Eastern Coast Baltic Seaports, in TEU
Port
Totally:
Saint Petersburg
Klaipeda Port
Riga
Kaliningrad
Tallinn
Ust Luga
Liepaja
Volumes
01-02 of 2013 01-02 of 2014
592.778
379.946
62.879
61.265
44.625
38.788
4.766
509
627.967
384.056
70.750
61.321
54.045
40.032
17.123
640
Cargo handling in the Eastern Coast Baltic Seaports, in thousand tons
Volumes
Port
01-02 of 2013 01-02 of 2014
Totally:
57 631,3
58 689,6
Ust Luga
8 379,5
10 868,1
Primorsk
11 182,0
9 189,9
Saint Petersburg
7 943,2
8 754,4
Ryga
5 471,9
6 526,8
Klaipeda Port and Butingės terminal
7 731,3
6 473,8
Ventspils
5 466,0
5 911,0
Tallinn
5 383,4
5 378,3
Vysotsk
2 421,9
2 466,3
Kaliningrad
2 508,8
2 104,6
Liepaja
972,0
817,0
Vyborg
171,3
199,4
Yoy change
in pct.
5,9
1,1
12,5
0,1
21,1
3,2
259,3
25,7
Yoy change
in TEU
35.189
4.110
7.871
56
9.420
1.244
12.357
131
Yoy change Yoy change
in thou. tn
in pct.
1,84
1 058,2
29,7
2 488,6
-17,8
-1 992,1
10,2
811,2
19,3
1 054,9
-16,3
-1 257,6
8,1
445,0
-0,1
-5,1
1,8
44,4
-16,1
-404,2
-15,9
-155,0
16,4
28,1
UST-LUGA PORT is the priority project related with cargo handling capacity development of Russian ports
in the Baltic Sea region. Comparing with the first two months of 2013 the throughput of this Port went up
even by +29,7 pct. or by +2 488,6 thou. tn to 10 868,1 thou. tn in January - February of the current year. Due
to such significant increase Ust-Luga Port has occupied the dominating position among the ports of the region.
Such a rapid growth was basically determined by the increased handling turnover of crude oil and oil products
constituting 67,4 pct. of the overall cargo handling: 7 326,1 thou. tn were transhiped, the yoy change was
+39,8 pct. or +2 087,4 thou. tn. Coal constituting 23,3 pct. of the overall cargo handling also makes the
significant impact on the cargo turnover of this port: in January – February of the current year 2 531,3 thou. tn
were handled, the yoy change was +7,6 pct. or +177,7 thou. tn.
PRIMORSK POR designated exclusively for export of crude oil and oil products occupied the second
standing in the rankings of the Baltic Sea region ports: 9 189,9 thou. tn of oil and oil products, i.e. less by –
17,8 pct. or by -1 992,1 thou. tn than in January – February of 2013 were transhiped within the period of the
two first months of 2014. Throughout the analysed period 7 310,7 thou. tn of crude oil and 1 879,3 thou. tn of
oil products were transhipped in the Port.
Within the first two months of 2014 the SEAPORT of SAINT - PETERSBURG totally handled 8 754,4
thou. tn of cargo; i.e., more by +10,2 pct. or by +811,2 thou. tn than in January – February of 2013. The Port
experienced the highest growth in the throughput of containerised cargoes constituting 42,4 pct. of the overall
turnover of the Port (3 714,3 thou. tn, the change was +7,2 pct. or +248,9 thou. tn yoy) and oil products
constituting 20,1 pct. of the overall turnover of the Port (1 759,9 thou. tn, the change was +18,3 pct. or
+271,9 thou tn yoy).
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In the group of bulk cargo the throughput of fertilizers (the yoy change was +32,6 pct. or +224,5 thou. tn to
914,1 thou. tn) marked the most significant increase and in the group of general cargo the throughput of scrap
metal ( the yoy change was +110,5 pct. or +305,9 thou. tn to 160,6 thou. tn) and reefer cargo ( 349,7 thou. tn
were handled, the change was +7,1 pct. or +23,2 thou. tn yoy) increased. The handling rates of non – ferrous
metal attributed to the group of general cargo dropped down rather significantly: 990,4 thou. tn were handled,
the yoy change was -1,1 pct. or -11,4 thou. tn.
The overall turnover in the PORT of VYSOTSK within the analysed period was 2 466,3 thou. tn, the yearon-year change was +1,8 pct. or +44,4 thou. tn. This port handles basically two types of cargo. Oil products
cut out the biggest share in the overall turnover of the Port (68 pct). In January –February of the current year
1 675,3 thou. tn of oil products were transhiped i.e. the handling rates decreased by -2,5 pct. comparing with
January - February of 2013. The throughput of coal handling that dropped down in January achieved a
significant rise in February: 791 thou. tn were handled altogether in January – February of 2014, the change
was +12,4 pct. or +87,5 thou. tn year-on-year.
The total throughput in the PORT OF KALININGRAD was 2 104,6 thou. tn, i.e. less by -16,1 pct. or by
-404,2 thou. tn than in January – February of 2013. Oil products cut out the biggest share in the total
throughput of this seaport (22,1 pct.). In February of 2014 the handling rates of oil products dropped down
dramatically: 465,7 thou. tn were transhiped, the yoy change was -50,0 pct. or -465,7 thou. tn.
Meanwhile the turnover of grain handling (343,5 thou. tn were handled, the yoy change was +263,5 pct. or
+249 thou tn) and Ro-Ro cargoes (203,1 thou. tn were handled, the yoy change was +54,9 pct. or +72 thou.
tn) surged rather significantly. Handling turnover of containerised cargoes achieved the slight increase (186,8
thou. tn were handled, the yoy change was +3,8 pct. or +6,8 thou.tn). Metal handling that marked the
significant growth at the end of 2013 dropped down by -4,1 pct. or by -10,8 thou. tn to 253,1 thou. tn in
January – February of 2014.
The total throughput in the JOINT PORT of TALLINN in January – February of 2014 achieved 5 378,3
thou. tn, the change was -0,1 pct. or -5,1 thou. tn year-on-year. The handling rates of oil products constituting
the basic share in the overall cargo handling turnover in this Port –even 74,3 pct.- decreased slightly : totally
3 993,5 thou. tn were transhiped in January – February of 2014, the yoy change was -2 pct. or -81,2 thou. tn.
In terms of general cargo the turnover of containerised cargoes (331,4 thou. tn were handled, the yoy change
was +20,7 pct. or +56,8 thou. tn) and Ro-Ro cargoes constituting 11 pct. of the total Port throughput (586,8
thou. tn were handled, the yoy change was +6,5 pct. or +35,9 thou. tn) marked the significant increase.
In the group of dry and bulk cargo it is worth to note the decreasing handling rates of fertilizers: 213,1 thou.
tn were transhiped, the yoy change was -15,6 pct. or -39,3 thou. tn.
Passenger traffic. In January – February of 2014 the Joint Port of Tallinn rendered services to 1 129,8 thou.
passengers, i.e. more by +4,2 pct. year-on-year, or by +45,7 thou. passengers.
Vessels. 1 034 vessels were reported to call the Port of Tallinn, i.e. less by 33 vessels or by -3,1 pct.
comparing with January – February of 2013.
In January – February of 2014 the rapid growth of cargo handling turnover was achieved in RIGA PORT
that occupied the fourth standing in the rankings of the ports of the region : 6 526,8 thou. tn were handled, the
change was +19,3 pct. year-on - year or +1 054,8 thou. tn. Such a significant growth in January – February of
the current year was achieved due to increased by 40,9 pct. throughput of oil products : 1 902,8 thou. tn were
transhiped (the change was +552,2 thou. tn yoy). The handling rates of coal, cutting out 34,6 pct. in the
overall turnover of the Port, increased as well : 2 258,4 thou. tn were handled (the yoy change was +7,8 pct. or
-163,6 thou. tn.).
In the group of bulk and dry cargo the most rapid growth was recorded in the handling of fertilizers
(342,4 thou. tn were handled, the yoy change was +25 pct. or +68,5 thou. tn) and in the group of general
cargoes the turnover of containerised cargoes marked the increase (642,9 thou. tn were handled, the change
was +3,9 pct. or +23,9 thou. tn). It is worth noting that handling rates of timber and forest products
4
constituting 7,1 pct. of the overall throughput of the port have been consistently dropping down: 464,8 thou. tn
were handled, the year-on-year change was -13,4 pct. or -71,7 thou. tn.
Passenger traffic. The Freeport of Riga received 103,2 thou. passengers in January – February of 2014 (the
year-on-year change was +5,3 pct. or +5,2 passengers) including 3 042 passengers of cruise liners.
In January – February of 2014 the cargo handling turnover in the SEAPORT OF VENTSPILS increased by
+8,1 pct. or by +445 thou. tn. year-on-year to 5 911 thou. tn. The seaport marked the increase in the
throughput of basically handled in the port oil products (52 pct. of the overall Port cargo handling) and coal
(27,3 pct. of the overall Port cargo handling): 3 264 thou. tn of oil products were transhiped (the yoy change
was +9,3 pct. or +279 thou. t) and 1 612 thou. tn of coal were handled (the yoy change was +2,7pct. or +43
thou. tn).
In the group of cargo types making the most significant impact on the overall turnover it is worth noting the
significant surge in the throughput of fertilizers by +203,8 pct. or by +324 thou. tn yoy to 483 thou. tn. The
handling rates of Ro-Ro cargoes in the Seaport of Ventspils that in January of the current year remained the
same as in January of 2013 marked the increase in February of 2014 achieving 288 thou. tn. (the yoy change
was +2,9 pct. or +8 thou. tn) within the period of two months.
Passenger traffic. During the first two months of the year 6 561 passengers called the Port of Ventspils, the
change was -0,1 pct. or less by 3 passenger comparing with January – February of 2013.
Vessels. In total the Port rendered services to 299 vessels; the yoy change was +5,3 pct, or +15 vessels.
The total throughput in the PORT of LIEPAJA within the first two months reached 817 thou. tn, the year-onyear change was -15,9 pct. or -155 thou. tn. Grain cargo cuts out the largest share of handling volumes of this
port (53 pct.). In January – February of 2014 the grain handling turnover increased significantly comparing
with the corresponding period of the previous year: 432,9 thou. tn were transhiped, the year-on-year change
was +29,5 pct. or +98,5 thou. tn.
The handling rates of liquid cargo that fluctuated up and down rather significantly within the whole period of
2013 and remained negative by the end of the year started increasing successfully at the beginning of 2014 :
totally the transhipment volumes of oil products, crude oil and liquid chemical cargoes in January – February
of 2014 were 79,9 thou. tn (the yoy change was +7,7 pct. or +5,7 thou. tn).
The handling of Ro-Ro cargoes that achieved a slight increase in 2013 dropped down in January – February of
2013 by 2,5 pct.: 107,5 thou. tn were handled, the yoy change was -2,7 thou. tn.
Passenger traffic. The number of passengers calling the Port of Liepaja was 5 553 passengers, the year-onyear change was -14 pct. or -905 passengers.
Vessels. In January – February of the current year 216 vessels moored in the Port, the change was -11,8 pct. or
less by 29 vessels comparing with the first two months of 2013