NCSP Group says its consolidated cargo turnover in January-March 2016 grew 3.9% year on year and reached 37 million tonnes.
Liquid cargo volumes totaled 28.8 million tonnes, bulk cargo comprised 3.3 million tonnes, general cargo amounted to 3.6 million tonnes, and container cargo totaled 1.3 million tonnes or 127 thousand TEU.
Commenting on the operating result for the first quarter of 2016, CEO of PJSC NCSP Sultan Batov said: «First quarter results proved better than our expectations. Actual volumes exceeded our plans by 12% total. Crude oil volumes were 16% above plan; oil products exceeded plans by 4.3%; grain performed 36% above plan; iron ore volumes exceeded expectations by 51%; and ferrous metals performed 17% above plan».
In Q1 2016 NCSP Group loaded 28 830 thousand tonnes of liquid cargo. Crude oil volumes were up 1.4% year on year growing by 263.8 thousand tonnes up to 19 773 thousand tonnes. Transshipment of oil products was up by 1.9% year on year or by 166 thousand tonnes, and reached 8 835 thousand tonnes. Volumes of UAN and seed oils totaled 137 thousand tonnes and 86 thousand tonnes respectively.
Transshipment of bulk in Q1 2016 increased by 698 thousand tonnes or 27% year on year and reached 3 281 thousand tonnes. Grain volumes increased by 336 thousand tonnes or 24.7% year on year up to 1 700 thousand tonnes. Volumes of iron ore doubled year on year and reached 698 thousand tonnes. Transshipment of coal increased 7.3% year on year to 380 thousand tonnes. Chemical cargo growth was modest, sugar volumes declined due to low demand for imported raw sugar.
General cargo volumes in Q1 2016 totaled 3 572 thousand tonnes. Transshipment of ferrous metals and pig iron increased by 186 thousand tonnes or 6.3% year on year and reached 3 128 thousand tonnes. Volumes of non-ferrous metals, timber cargo, perishable cargo, and other cargo comprised 277 thousand tonnes, 107 thousand tonnes, and 60 thousand tonnes respectively.
NCSP Group’s container traffic in Q1 2016 comprised 1 336 thousand tonnes and 127.2 thousand TEU, which exceeds that of Q1 2015 by 13.3% and 7.7% respectively.
NCSP Group is the largest port operator in Russia and the third-largest in Europe, in terms of cargo turnover. NCSP Group cargo turnover in 2015 totalled 139.7 million tones (+5.6%). NCSP Group consolidates the following companies: PJSC Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port, LLC Primorsk Trade Port, JSC Novorossiysk Grain Terminal, OJSC Novorossiysk Ship Repair Yard, OJSC NCSP Fleet, JSC NLE, OJSC IPP, Baltic Stevedore Company LLC, and JSC SFP.