Anniversary afloat
North-Western Shipping Company is 85 years old. This simple phrase reveals the history of one of the largest transport companies in Russia. However the considerable age is not a ground for resting on laurels. On the contrary is should be an incentive to prove that past experience is an excellent basis for future achievements.
The history of North-Western Shipping Company (NWSC) goes back to 1923, when soviet river shipping actually started and when a state-owned North-Western River Shipping Company was set up. During the Great Patriotic War (WWII) the company contributed a lot to defending of Leningrad. It used to deliver food, ammunition and military equipment to the besieged city. Besides, it participated in evacuation of Leningrad citizens. The new stage started for the company when the Volga-Baltic Waterway was put into operation in 1964. NWSC was actually the first company to start all-the-year-round navigation between marine and river ports including international transportation.
In 1993, NWSC was reincorporated as a joint-stock company. As of today, it is one of the largest shipping companies in the segment of river-and-sea transportation in Russia and in Europe. The company has been developing within this segment for 43 years already and today it enters new markets including transportation between European ports. Part of the company’s vessels does not enter internal waterways or Russian ports. In future, this segment will be represented by vessels being built by Chinese shipyards. Over the period of 40 years the Company is carrying out transit cargo carriages through the Volga-Baltic Waterway and more than 30 years - through the Saimensky canal.
Currently the company as a holding structure consists of the shipping companies including North-Western Fleet and Astrakhan Shipping Company, two passenger ports including Passenger Ports and Belozerski Port, two shipbuilding and repair companies including Nevsky Shipbuilding-Shiprepair Plant and Voznesenskaya Fleet Maintenance and Repair Base, as well as Snabservis and Volga-Neva technical management company. The company’s activity area includes internal waterways of the European Russia entering the offshore area of the Baltic, North, Mediterranean, Black and Caspian seas. In the ownership of the company there are 180 units of self-propelled transport vessels, among them 110 freighters with cargo-carrying capacity more than 350,000 tons and 25 passenger ships. 90 river-sea-going vessels work all-the-year round.
In the 11-month period of 2007, NWSC fleet transported 5.8 million tonnes of cargo (+322,000 tonnes, year-on-year). Transportation of grain and grain products grew by 145,300 tonnes, construction cargo – by 160,400 tonnes, fertilizers – by 154,500 tonnes. In winter navigation 2007-2008, the fleet will deploy 82 motor vessels including 60 – in the Northern Basin and 22 – in the Southern basin.
North-Western Shipping Company enters its anniversary being in a good shape. It has lots of development plans including participation in a tender to carry out cargo transportation from Russia to Europe within the framework Nord Stream project. Besides, the company is likely to participate in laying of the southern line of Burgas-Alexandropulis pipeline. Among the company’s perspectives is the work on delivery of cargo to construction sites of Sochi Olympics facilities.
It is important to fit the times for a company with such an experience. According to Viktor Olerski, Chairman of the company’s BOD, cargo flows undergo changes today. The decrease of round timber export in favor of sawn timber export from Russia effects the transportation through the Saimensky canal. When construction needs more crushed stone this type of cargo transfers from exports to import. The program of fleet renewal is always adjusted according to the tendencies of cargo transportation development. For example, today NWSC aims mainly at sea-going vessels with unlimited area of navigation due to expansion of the navigation geography. However, the company will continue to use the existing fleet at well developed directions.
Despite the celebrations the company continues activities on cooperation with the state for renewal of the fleet to be deployed at internal waterways. The purpose of such cooperation is the state-funded construction of vessels to be transferred to companies capable of efficient operation for remuneration. This program envisages passenger transportation as well considering that the situation in this sector is quite difficult today. In particular, today the work is being carried out with the Federal Industry Agency on cooperation model with active participation of North-Western Shipping Company.