The total volume of cargo handled at the Freeport of Ventspils in the first eight months of the year 2009 amounted to 19.09 million tons, registering a slight decrease on the results of the same period of time last year, when 19.25 million tons of cargo were loaded and unloaded at the port, The Baltic Course reports.
This August 1.91 million tons of cargo were handled at the Port of Ventspils – 34,000 tons or 2% more than in August 2008, as LETA learned from the Ventspils Freeport Authority.
The same as previously, the largest volume of cargo handled in Ventspils Port was liquid, 12.97 million tons of which were handled in January-August this year or 4.5% more than in the same time period last year. The volume of bulk cargo was 5.18 million tons and the volume of general cargo over this period of time reached 939,000 tons.
The volume of wood-chips handled at the port grew by 37.08% and that of coal – by 32.3%, reaching 329,000 tons and 3.79 million tons respectively. The volume of timber materials handled at the port increased by 16% to 283,000 tons.
Over the first eight months of this year, 11.98 million tons of oil products, 3.79 million tons of coal and 704,000 tons of mineral fertilizers were handled at the port.
Ferry lines, operating from the Freeport of Ventspils, have transported 10,623 passengers, 4,375 passenger cars and 21,379 cargo units so far this year.
Ventspils port is located near Venta river. There are terminals for loading and unloading of crude and oil products, liquid chemicals and fertilizers, metal and coal, timber and fish, containers and Ro-Ro trailers. Liquid cargo area has 9 berths ranging in depth between 11.5 and 17.5 m. These berths can accommodate AFRAMAX type vessels of 150 000 DWT. In 2008, the port handled 28.57 million tonnes of cargo.