In January-December 2016, vessels of Volga Shipping Company (part of UCL Holding) transported 5.2 mln tons of cargo, 7% less than in the previous year, the company says in a press release.
The cargo turnover amounted to 5.3 billion tkm, equal to the last year level.
Export cargoes made 3.5 mln tons in the structure of transportations, 7% more than last year. Inland cargo transportation volume decreased by 26% to 1.7 mln tons. Export and inland cargo transportation accounted for 67% and 34% of the company’s traffic (in 2015: 58% and 42% accordingly).
Crops made almost one third of the total transportation volume in 2016 navigation. The company vessels delivered 1.57 mln tons of grain, 21.5% less than last year. The amount of export metal transported by the company increased 2.6 times and made 0.9 mln tons. Sulfur transportation amounted to 1 mln tons, 14.5% more than the last year volume.
Crushed stone from Karelia pits was the main cargo of inland transportation. The company vessels carried 1.1 mln tons of crushed stone, equal to the last year level. Inland transportation of industrial salt, gravel, sand and gravel mix decreased.
In November, under difficult conditions of early freeze-up on the Volgo-Baltiysky water way, cargo vessels of different Russian shipping companies were accompanied by the Volga Shipping pusher tugs. More than 40 ice-routing services were provided by the company vessels.
The total of 73 units of cargo, towing and maintenance fleet and 58 non-self-propelled dry-cargo sections of the Volga Shipping operated during 2016 navigation.
The Volga Shipping JSC is one of the largest shipping companies in Russia, it was founded in 1843. It performs cargo transportation along the rivers and lakes of the country. According to the navigation results 5.6 mln tons of cargos were transported by the company vessels in 2015. The Volga Shipping Company is part of the VBTH holding – a shipping division of the international transport group Universal Cargo Logistics Holding (the majority shareholder of the VBTH), consolidating a number of Russian railway, stevedoring and logistics companies. The division also includes the North-West shipping company, V.F. Tanker and a number of shipbuilding and cruise assets.