Cargo Handling at the Port of Klaipeda and Adjacent Ports in the first half
of the year 2007
In the first half of 2007, the port of Klaipeda handled 13.12 million tones of cargo,
which is higher by +11.8 percent in comparison to the corresponding period of 2006.
In terms of cargo types, there was a growth of all cargo types (general, dry and bulk,
liquid) in the first half of 2007.
Figure 1. Cargo handling at the Port of Klaipeda as per cargo type
Period
Cargo type
Total (thousand tons):
Liquid cargo
Dry and bulk cargo
General cargo
2006 01-06
2007 01-06
11 731,4
4 590,0
3 563,3
3 578,1
13 119,5
4 746,6
3 777,9
4 595,0
2007 / 2006, % (+, -)
+11,8
+3,4
+6,0
+28,4
2007 June turnover grew by 4 percent (total 2.24 million tones of cargo handled) in
comparison to 2006.
Growth of liquid cargoes resulted from increase in handling of liquid fertilizers (in
January-June of 2006 amount handled was 0.56 million tones, while in January-June 2007
0.71 million tones were handled, change +26.4 percent). Turnover of oil products remained
on the previous year level (3.9 million tones handled during the first half of this year). In
comparison to the previous year, turnover of bagged fertilizers (1.9 times), bulk fertilizers
(+53.1 percent), refrigerated cargoes (+42.9 percent), peat (+33.2 percent), timber products
(+13.9 percent), iron and steel goods (+12.1 percent) saw an increase in volume; there was
also an increase of +19 percent in turnover of ro-ro units (in terms of tonnage) and +47.4
percent in container handling (in terms of tonnage). Handling figures for raw sugar -77.4
percent, molasses -54.8 percent, agricultural products -45.3 percent, ferroalloys -37.0
percent, and minerals – 20.2 percent slumped in Klaipeda seaport.
Container handling grew by +42 percent, and that of Ro-ro units by +17 percent.
Increase in Ro-ro units was generated by growth of handling of trailers, highway freighters,
trucks and passenger cars in the port of Klaipeda. 20.1 thousand ro-ro units were handled in
June, which is the highest monthly figure for 2007.
The total number of passengers visiting the port by ferry during the first six months
grew by 25.5 percent and amounted to 117 thousand. Nearly 35 thousand passengers visited
the port in the first summer month (the highest figure in 2007).
In May-June there were 26 calls of cruise ships at the port of Klaipeda; they carried
11.6 thousand passengers (change +43 percent in relation to 2006). It is a successful result
of the activities of the Port Authority, Klaipeda Tourist and Information Centre and
enterprises engaged in servicing oversees passengers.
Figure 2. Container handling in the ports on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, TEU
Ports
Saint Petersburg
Klaipeda
Riga
Tallinn
Kaliningrad
Ventspils
2006 01-06 2007 01-06
2007 / 2006, % (+, -)
106 203
84 705
74 531
150 470
101 509
87 123
41,7
19,8
16,9
6 496
8 540
31,5
Adjacent ports
Figure 3. Cargo turnover results in the ports on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea
(thousand tons)
Ports
St. Petersburg
Primorsk
Tallinn
Ventspils
Klaipeda
Riga
Kaliningrad
Liepaja
2006 01-06
2007 01-06
2007 / 2006, % (+, -)
20 716,4
14 572,0
11 731,4
12 850,9
21 715,1
16 092,0
13 119,5
12 594,0
4,8
10,4
11,8
-2,0
In January through June 2007, the port of Tallinn handled 21.71 million tons of cargo
(+4.8 percent change in comparison to the same period of 2006). In terms of cargo type, dry
bulk cargo handling grew by +9 percent or 508 thousand tons, general cargo +8.4 percent or
197 thousand tons, and liquid cargoes +2.3 percent or 293 thousand tons. Liquid cargoes
accounted for the largest share in the total handling structure in Tallinn port, i.e., 59.9
percent.
Total turnover growth resulted from increase in handling of oil products (in the first
half year of 2006 amount handled was 12.67 million tones, in the first half year of 2007 13
million tones were handled), ro-ro units (in the first half year of 2006 amount handled was
1.63 million tones, in the first half year of 2007 1.79 million tones were handled), grain (in
the first half year of 2006 amount handled was 85.4 thousand tones, in the first half year of
2007 788.5 thousand tones were handled), containers (in the first half year of 2006 amount
handled was 652.2 thousand tones, in the first half year of 2007 704.2 thousand tones were
handled), and scrap metal (in the first half year of 2006 amount handled was 317.1 thousand
tones, in the first half year of 2007 358 thousand tones were handled). Decrease was
recorded in the turnover of timber (91.6 thousand tones were handled in the first half year of
2007, change -42.2 percent), ferrous metals (113.5 thousand tones handled, change -18.3
percent), nonferrous metals (97 thousand tones handled, change -34.4 percent) and food
(38.1 thousand tones handled, change -45 percent).
In January-June of this year, 1554 freight ships called at the port of Tallinn, while
this number for the corresponding period of 2006 was 1550 calls (change +0.3 percent).
Cargo handling figure for the port of Ventspils in January-June of 2007 totalled 16.09
million tons, the figure for the corresponding period of 2006 was 14.57 million tons.
Turnover has increased in terms of all cargo types: amount of liquid cargoes handled
increased by +10 percent, respectively 10.11 million tons, dry bulk cargo by +13.9 percent,
respectively 4.70 million tons, general cargo turnover increased by +2.2 percent reaching
respectively amount of 1.27 million tons. In terms of cargo nomenclature, handling of raw
oil (+761 thousand tons) and grain (+172 thousand tons) increased in the port of Ventspils.
Mere 453 thousand tons of raw oil was handled in the port of Ventspils in the first half of
2006. Turnover of the principal transit cargoes namely, oil products and bulk fertilisers, was
as follows: amount of oil products handled in 2007 was 8.39 million tons (+3.1 percent), and
that of bulk fertilizers 1.88 million tons (+37.2 percent).
Throughout January to June of this year the port of Ventspils handled 80 thousand
tons of containerised cargoes (68 thousand tons last year); number of passengers carried was
21.4 thousand (+18.3 percent increase in relation to 2006).
Throughout January to June of 2007 the port of Riga handled 12.59 million tons of
cargo, which is less by -2 percent in relation to the same period of the previous year.
Decrease was recorded for dry bulk cargo turnover. Handling of dry bulk cargo accounted
for the larger share of the total turnover amounting to more than 7.3 million tons, this amount
decreased by -9.4 percent or 754 thousand tons in comparison with January-June of the
previous year. Amount of bulk fertilizers handled was +210 thousand tons or +29.1 percent
more than the previous year. Coal handling decreased by -15.1 percent down to 4.92 million
tons and accounted for 39.1 percent of total handling turnover.
Amount of general cargo handled in the port of Riga was 2.79 million tons (+12.1
percent in comparison to January-June of the previous year). In terms of general cargo
nomenclature, timber accounted for 1503 thousand tons (-0.2 percent), and containerised
cargoes 923 thousand tons (+17.7 percent). Turnover of liquid cargo in the first half of 2007
increased by +8.5 percent in comparison to the same period of the previous year and
amounted to 2.51 million tons.
During the first six months of this year 160 thousand passengers visited the port of
Riga, while in January-June of 2006 this figure was mere 79.96 thousand (twofold increase).
E.Kateiva
Klaipeda State Seaport Authority
Marketing Department