In five months of the year 2009, Ventspils Free Port’s volume of gasoline cargoes increased by 70%, reaching 5.18 million tons, the total cargo volume – 12.46 million tons, reported BC Head of Marketing and Development Department of Free Port of Ventspils Authority Igors Udodovs.
In the first five months of this year, Ventspils Free Port handled 12.46 million tons of cargo. Thus, there is a 371 thousand tons surplus against the scheduled volume (the total planned volume for 2009 is 29 million tons, handling 2.4 million tons per month). Overall, the port transhipped by 295 thousand tons or 2.31% less if compared with the same period last year.
According to the data on the transhipped types of cargo, as previously, the biggest turnover has been of liquid cargoes – in the first five months of this year, 8.7 million tons of cargo have been handled, which is a 301 million tons increase year-on-year. The volume of bulk cargoes has reached 3.2 million tons, and the turnover of general cargoes in the same period amounted to 550 thousand tons.
Petrol has had the largest increase in cargo transhipment volume – in the first five months of this year, the cargo volume has increased by 70.82% year-on-year, reaching 5.18 million tons. Also, there is a 69.59% increase in the transhipped kerosene volume, reaching 290 tons, while an increase in the handled iron ore amounted to 63.16%, thus reaching 31 thousand tons.
Also, coal continues to increase the transhipment volumes – the cargo volume is 29.31% higher year-on-year.
In the same period, oil product cargoes had the largest volume of 7.87 million tons, followed by 2.56 million tons of coal. The third largest cargo volume in the first five months of this year was of crude oil and amounted to 454 thousand tons.
This year, the ferry lines have carried 4,771 passengers, transported 2,069 cars and 13,044 cargo units with the total weight of 341.4 thousand tons.
From May 1, the excursion boat “Duke Jacob” starts the trips through the Ventspils port, which runs daily until the end of the tourist season – October 31. In May of this year, 5,600 people have taken the boat trip.