NCSP Group reports that the consolidated cargo turnover of the Group's terminals for January–September 2018 decreased by 2.3% respecting the same period of the last year and amounted 105,253 thousand tons.
According to the statement, the main drivers were:
- Growth trends in transshipment of oil products and grain remained positive (+12.4% and +26.6% respectively).
- Cargo turnover of ferrous metals and cast iron increased (+11.2%) due to the increase in deliveries to Europe and Southeast Asia.
- Reduction in crude oil transshipment by 14.2% due to the redistribution of oil exports from the West to the East, as well as due to an increase in the load of Russian refineries;
In January–September 2018, transshipment of liquid cargo at NCSP Group's terminals decreased by 6.5 % or 5,219 thousand tons and amounted to 75,581 thousand tons, including 48,849 thousand tons of crude oil; 25,906
thousand tons of oil products; 583 thousand tons of UAN, and 243 thousand tons of seed oils.
Transshipment of crude oil decreased by 14.2% or 8,102 thousand tons, including in Novorossiysk (decrease by 9.8%) and Primorsk (decrease by 17.2%). At the same time, transshipment of oil products increased by 12.4% or 2,851 thousand tons, which is 9.5 p.p. higher than the industry growth rate (according to Association of Commercial Sea Ports (ASOP)).
Transshipment of liquid fertilizers (UAN) increased by 27.9%, transshipment of seed oils, on the contrary, decreased by 27.9% compared to the same period in 2017.
In January–September 2018, transshipment of bulk cargo at NCSP Group's terminals increased by 9.4% or 1,126 thousand tons compared to the same period last year and amounted to 13,041 thousand tons.
Bulk cargo turnover increased mainly due to the growth of grain transshipment volumes against the background of high yield in the last grain season (2017/2018) and record exports in the first month of the new season (2018/2019), which was facilitated by the excitement in the grain market caused by the news about the drought in the agricultural regions of Europe and Australia.
Transshipment of grain increased by 26.6% or 1,983 thousand tons to 9,447 thousand tons. The volume of iron ore raw materials transshipment remained almost the same, having amounted to 1,854 thousand tons. Transshipment of coal decreased by 24.1% or 377 thousand tons to 1,186 thousand tons due to lower purchasing power of consumers in Turkey amid ongoing devaluation of Turkish lira. According to Argus Media, high-quality Russian coal is replaced with lower quality and lower cost coal or with petroleum coke.
Transshipment of chemical cargo and raw sugar amounted to 425 and 128 thousand tons, respectively.
Despite the growth of transshipment volumes, the share of NCSP Group in grain turnover of Russian ports increased (1.5 times, according to ASOP), which is caused by a significant increase in exports of grain through small ports of the Azov Sea.
In January–September 2018, transshipment of general cargo at NCSP Group's terminals increased by 7.9% or 819 thousand tons and reached 11,159 thousand tons.
Increase in general cargo transshipment was primarily due to the growth in cast iron transshipment related to active sales to EU countries and the expansion of sales markets (deliveries to Southeast Asia). Transshipment of ferrous metals and cast iron increased by 11.2% or 1,004 thousand tons to 9,991 thousand tons. Transshipment of nonferrous metals, timber and perishable cargo amounted to 758 thousand tons, 244 thousand tons and 166 thousand tons, respectively.
In the reporting period, NCSP Group's container turnover amounted to 4,681 thousand tons or 469 thousand TEU, which is 6.7% in tons and 6.8% in TEU higher compared to the same period in 2017.
In January–September 2018, transshipment of other cargo at NCSP Group's terminals amounted to 792 thousand tons, increasing more than 2 times due to the involvement of various cargo to transshipment, which are mainly cargoes shipped in big bags and special containers at the direct option.