Arkhangelsk perspectives
Most seaports of the North-West region decreased cargo transshipment in nine months of 2006. Cargo turnover of the Big Port of Saint Petersburg fell over this period by 6.6%, Kandalaksha - by almost 17%. Kaliningrad was the only port to demonstrate growth dynamics while cargo turnover of Murmansk port stayed at the level of 2005. The lowest result is that of Arkhangelsk: - 18.5% year-on-year.
Leading positions of export
In January-September Arkhangelsk port handled almost 4 million tons of cargo. The port’s stevedoring company accepted 283.4 thou tons of cargo (+15.9%) and dispatched 3 652.2 thou tons (-21.5%). Though export of January-September decreased by 50% and import almost doubled, export is still higher than import (1 053.7 thou tons and 136.8 thou tons correspondingly).
Coal, metal scrap, cardboard, paper, timber and oil products are conventional products in the port’s transit sector. Transshipment of coal has preserved its volume through nine months of 2006. The share of coal in outgoing coastal trade cargoes grew by 49% to 39.574 thou tons, in export - by 16% to 164.49 thou tons. However, transshipment of incoming coastal trade coal is not carried out any more.
Transshipment of export metal scrap grew by 16.8% to 163.69 thou tons, its volume in outgoing coastal trade cargoes decreased by 26.5% to 4.54 thou tons.
Transshipment of these two types of cargo is mainly carried out by Arkhangelsk Commercial Seaport OJSC (АCS). Despite general decrease of cargo turnover in Arkhangelsk port the result of this stevedoring company grew by 9.2%. According to Svetlana Pavlovskaya, representative of ACS, this growth should be attributed to the increasing transit of Kuzbass export coal, growing volume of export metal scrap as well as to a new flow of imported sheet steel and chemical cargo. She also remarks that ACS’s coastal trade cargoes going in Arctic direction are to grow by 20 – 30% in 2006.
Besides, Arkhangelsk port demonstrated decrease in transshipment of some other type of cargo, in particular, transshipment of cellulose fell through January-September by 25.5% to 98.71 thou tons, cardboard – by 57.5% to 20.7 thou tons. As the reporter of PortNews agency was told at the Arkhangelsk port administration, the decrease of cargo turnover is mainly explained by decreased number of foreign vessel’s calls.
Out-of-port container lines
Decrease of container transshipment was demonstrated in all sectors of the port’s activities: export, import and coastal trade. Container turnover in import decreased by 40.4% to 36.158 thou tons, in incoming coastal trade sector – by 1.1% to 7.309 thou tons, in outgoing coastal trade sector – by 42.7% to 63.759 thou tons (-42.7%), in export – by 27.7% to 43.129 thou tons. Sergej Semenov, Development Manager of Marine Construction and Technologies (scientific-production company of Saint Petersburg) told the reporter of PortNews IAA, that decrease of container turnover in the port of Arkhangelsk is explained first of all by the port’s location. Other experts also indicate at not favorable location of Arkhangelsk port as compared with Murmansk or Saint Petersburg, for example. The port is less profitable for cargo owners as compared with the ports of Baltic states. Arkhangelsk is located off the transit container lines, Semenov says – regular feeder lines do not call in the port. So the port fails to ensure regular container flow. Semenov also reminds about difficult ice situation in the port, which entails additional limits for container handling.
Oil products to recover positions
Despite experts’ opinion related to possible re-orientation of Arkhangelsk port towards export of oil products, their transshipment has considerably decreased in January-September. Their share in incoming coastal trade sector has decreased 2.3 times to 2.295 thou tons, in outgoing coastal trade sector – by 6.6% to 2 219.5 thou tons (-6.6%). It is oil supplied by shuttle tankers of Rosneft to Belokamenka Terminal in Kolski Bay. Export transshipment of oil products fell 12.7 times to 74.46 thou tons.