In January-June, 2008, sea-and-river going vessels of North Western Shipping Company (NWSC OJSC, St. Petersburg) carried 2.399 million tonnes (+0.3%, year-on-year), the company’s PR Department informs. In the reported period, transshipment of grain, coke, iron ore, manganese ore, non-ferrous metal ore and raw sulfur stayed at the level of H1 07. In the first half of 2008, the company transported 238,600 tonnes of ferrous metal (+65,300 tonnes, year-on-year), 344,400 tonnes of construction cargoes (+27,300 tonnes, year-on-year).
Transshipment of cement grew 7.6 times to 52,100 tonnes, coal – 4-fold to 65,200 tonnes, horticultural goods – 2-fold to 28,000 tonnes. In the reported period, cargo transshipment was carried out by 94 cargo vessels of NWSC (-6 vessels as compared with the same period of the previous year.
The company’s revenue from foreign transportation amounted to $52.753 mln (+33.3%, year-on-year). Revenue from transportation by inland navigation vessels grew by 32.3%, year-on-year, to $3.427 mln. According to Artur Gavlyuk, Managing Director of NWSC, the company’s considerable growth should be attributed to a 28-percent increase of average freight rate for transportation of high-price goods volume (fertilizers, metal, grain) accounting for 60% of the company’s total throughput as well as to the increased transportation of export cargoes delivered to foreign ports from the ports of Russia.