A new facility for handling exported grain has been inaugurated in the Astrakhan-based Port of Olya. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Transport Minister Igor Levitin, the Ministry of Transport told PortNews.
In December 2011, the terminal was launched in test mode. The facility of projected capacity of 500,000 tons of grain a year is intended for transshipment of grain from road and rail transport to sea-going ships, temporary storage of grain in a metal barn of a total capacity of 32,500 tons.
About 80% of the grain cargo will be transported to the port’s terminal by railroad and by trucks (20%). The cargo will be transshipped to vessels with the use of conveyors. The terminal features a state-of-the-art lab to conduct grain quality and grade control.
Port of Olya is located 100 km south of Astrakhan on the 67th km of the Volga-Caspian Canal near the village of Olya. The port specializes in handling general, container and Ro-Ro cargoes. Olya port is a hub for international trade cargoes passing through the Caspian Sea to / from Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and India. The port has border crossing and customs checkpoints. In 2010, throughput of Olya amounted to about 1 million tons.