Rosterminalugol JSC, the largest dedicated coal port in the Baltic region, part of Russia’s largest coal port holding Port Management Company LLC, says the largest bulker in its history and in the history of port Ust-Luga was handled on 24 June 2017.
The Capesize ship Navios Pollux (deadweight – 180,000 t, length - 282 m) is currently being loaded at the coal terminal.
To accept the bulker at the port of Ust-Luga, the bottom survey was performed in the Ust-Luga Bay of the Gulf of Finland. The survey was conducted from January 2017.
The scheme developed for the vessel to approach the berth involved three tugboats of the Baltic Sea Tug Agency and allowed for the operation to be completed within an hour.
“Thus the ability of port Ust-Luga to accommodate one of the world’s largest cargo ships has been confirmed”, says the statement.
“With Russian hydrocarbons leaving the ports of the Baltic states, development of domestic facilities and expansion of their capacity is especially significant. Modernization of the terminal is going on continuously and we are also working in permanent contact with railways. Shipments are increasing. Kuzbass coal exported via our terminal is expected in Europe, Middle East and Latin America,” says Yevgeny Korban, Managing Director of Rosterminalugol.
Coal loaded onto the Navios Pollux will be shipped to the Netherlands. The holds of the vessel that can accept coal from 2,500 rail cars will be loaded with coal of three grades.
Coal is loaded both from the storage yard and directly from rail cars. This method became possible with the introduction of the 11th transfer station (PS-11) allowing for involving two wagon dumpers simultaneously. The procedure of loading coal with contract fraction has been thus facilitated considerably.
Rosterminalugol JSC (port Ust-Luga, Leningrad Region) is the largest dedicated coal terminal in the North-West region of Russia. The terminal built with the application of the innovative technologies is intended to supply Russian coal produced in Kuzbass and other coal fields to the customers in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Latin America. The terminal was founded in 1996 under the programme on establishment of a commercial seaport in Ust-Luga. Phase II of the port – automated transshipment facility – was put into operation in 2006 in the presence of RF President Vladimir Putin. In 2016, Rosterminalugol entered the holding run by Port Management Company LLC.
In 2016, throughput of Rosterminalugol grew by 3.4%, year-on-year, to a record high result of 18 mln t (over 60% of coal transshipment in the ports of Russia’s Baltic Basin). In 2016, Managing Port Company LLC launched the project on further modernization of the terminal.
The port’s three lines ensure a complete cycle of operations including automatic unloading, treatment and magnetic cleaning, storage and loading onto seagoing ships including panamax and capsize bulk cargo carriers, customs and shipping paperwork. Environmental safety at the port is ensured by state-of-the-art dust suppression and storm water control systems. In 2016, Rosterminalugol celebrated its 20th anniversary.