Caspian Shipping Company (Kaspar, Azerbaijan) projected for this year it would have a 2.3-percent growth in freight shipment year-over-year, at 13.5 million tons, RZD-Partner.Ru reports quoting Aydin Bashirov, the head of the Company speaking at a press conference recently.
The Caspian Shipping has shown a steady growth in volumes of freight traffic while competing with its rivals in the Caspian Sea shipping lines, Mr. Bashirov said.
According to him, in 2009, CSC transported 13.189.700 tons of freight (by tankers – 9.864.500 tons, bulkers carried 1.029.00 tons, by the ferry – 2.296.200 tons). In 2010, the freight volumes is projected at 13.5 million tons.
Aydin Bashirov noted that recent changes in the global economy had hit the freight shipping, particularly in the dry cargo sector. Thus, due to a slump in freight traffic on the Black and Mediterranean Seas lines all Kaspar’s dry bulk carriers have been redirected from the Black Sea to operate the Caspian Sea line.
"However, there is a notable rise in traffic volumes of oil and oil products in the Caspian Sea. Currently, a monthly volume of oil transportation from Kazakhstan to Baku reached some 450-500.000 tons, 250.000 tons of the volume are from the Tengiz field. I believe the numbers will continue to grow. This year we also expect a gain in traffic volumes of oil from Kazakhstan" Mr. Bashirov was quoted as saying, adding that 75% of the overall volumes by Kaspar fleet falls on oil and petroleum products.
The state-run Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping, Kaspar maintains and operates a fleet of 80 vessels, including 42 tankers, 29 bulk carriers and 9 ferries.
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