Port of Ust-Luga foresees a twofold surge in cargo volumes
Cargo throughput at the port of Ust-Luga by this year-end is forecasted to soar by as much as two times year-over-year to 42 or 44 million tons, a Port Authority official said.
Oleg Glukhov, Deputy Harbormaster of the Port of Ust-Luga, who attended the 2nd Baltic Oil and Gas Trading & Transportation Conference in St. Petersburg, said that the port of Ust-Luga expects to have new terminals of Novatek, Sibur inaugurated very soon. Russian Transport Lines (RTL) is set to expand its Ro-Ro terminal for handling imported vehicles. Besides, Rosmorport plans to consider a project for dredging in the area of Timber Terminal Factor.
Port of Ust-Luga is located nearly on Russia’s border with the EU. The port is implementing dredging the harbor area and a 3.7km approach canal to 17.5 meters. Ust-Luga also expects to have the second approach canal completed by the end of this year. The port will become the only Russian port on the Baltic Sea capable of accommodating 75,000dwt bulkers and 120,000dwt tankers. Today, the port has six fully operating terminals (nine more to be commissioned soon). Overall, there will be 19 terminals commissioned by 2018. In 2010, Ust-Luga port handled 11.8 million tons of cargoes and 65,500 imported vehicles. By 2018, the port’s annual throughput is expected to increase to 180 million tons.