In the first quarter of 2019, Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg JSC (SP SPb, a company of UCL Holding) handled 1.69 million tonnes of dry cargo, down 10% versus the same period of the previous year, the company says in a press release. The negative dynamics should be attributed to reduction of metal transshipment. However, handling of other types of general cargo – metal scrap, big-bags, containers and dry bulk cargo — showed an increase.
From the beginning of the year, SP SPb handled 798,000 tonnes of ferrous metal and 322,000 tonnes of non-ferrous metal, down 27% and 10%, accordingly due to the decrease of steel and alumina exports by the port’s clients. An exception is cast iron – its transshipment surged 9-fold to 54,000 tonnes.
Having expanded its storage infrastructure the company boosted exports of metal scrap. In the three-month period, its volume increased by 8% to 172,000 tonnes. Transshipment of mineral fertilizers in big-bags almost doubled to 120,000 tonnes. Handling of wood pellets surged by 40% to 89,000 tonnes.
In general, transshipment of general cargo totaled 1.53 million tonnes, down 13% versus the first three months of 2018.
Transshipment of dry bulk cargo grew by 32% to 64,000 tonnes driven primarily by 66-pct growth of grain transshipment to 21,000 tonnes and 24-pct growth of ore to 39,000 tonnes.
While developing its container service SP SPb handled 7,500 TEUs, 20% more than in the first quarter of 2018. Exports totaled 7,100 TEUs, imports - 400 TEUs.
In 1Q’2019 exports accounted for 99% of the company’s total throughput, imports — for 1%.
Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg JSC (a company of UCL Port – stevedoring division of the International Transportation Group UCL Holding) is the largest operator, rendering services on handling of all types of dry cargoes at Big Port St. Petersburg. It operates modern multipurpose specialized terminals for handling of general and bulk cargoes and specialized terminals for ro-ro cargoes and containers. In 2018, the company handled 7.7 million tonnes of cargo.