Volga Shipping's cargo transportation rises 5% to 2.31 million tonnes in 1H2014
The volume of goods carried by cargo vessels and towing fleet of Volga Shipping Company in the first half of the year (January-June 2014) rose 5% on H1 2013 figures, to 2.315 million tonnes, the shipping company said on Monday.
Major traffic volume shifted to the Southern Basin Pool, thanks to redirection of export cargoes to the ports of Astrakhan and Port of Kavkaz, namely sulfur, metal, grain and fertilizer. Transportation of sulfur totaled 538,000 tonnes, of metal – 529,000 tonnes.
In the reporting period the share of export goods accounted for 60% of total traffic. A year earlier, the ratio of domestic and export goods was 58% and 42%, respectively.
"The decline in inland traffic of Volga Shipping is associated with shallow waters of the river near Gorodtsa. Cargo ships while passing Gorodetski Lock have to stop for transshipment of the loads when passing shallow water areas. In the reporting period underloading of vessels reached 116,000 tonnes, mainly in the segment of construction materials", the company said.
Volga Shipping deployed 200 vessels on inland waterways in the 2014 navigation season. Ten new RSD44 project ships are transporting in the first half of the year sulfur and grain in the Southern basin. Due to the early start of the shipping season the RSD44 design vessels carried 228 tonnes of cargo, 34% more than a year before.
Volga Shipping Company is one of the biggest transport companies in Russia. It was founded in 1843. The company transports cargoes along rivers and lakes of the country. In 2013, Volga Shipping carried 6,562,000 tonnes of cargo.