Oslo Marine Group to set up its own shipping company by fall 2007
By autumn 2007 Oslo Marine Group plans to set up its own shipping company within the framework of Onega Sea Transshipment Complex LLC, Oslo Marine press center reports. The company is to be registered under Russian flag and to specialize on export transportation of timber and sawn goods. The new company is to contribute to the increase of timber goods export from 300 thou m3 2006 to 0.5 million m3 in 2007.
At first the company is to function on the basis of Onega facilities. Today Oslo Marine management studies national shipbuilding market in order to place an order for a series of multi-purpose dry cargo carries with a displacement of 3.5 to 7 thou tons (for transportation of timber, containers and other general cargo). The vessels’ navigation area is to include the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe.
Onega LLC is multifunctional port terminal established within the framework of Oslo Marine Group late in 2005. The new terminal specializes on ro-ro cargo. The first phase of the project (2006) implied construction of a terminal covering the territory of 2.2 hectares. Investments into this phase exceeded RUR 500 million. The second phase (planned for 2007) implies expansion by 6 hectares in order to increase the terminal’s initial capacity. From March 2007 Onega accepts and handles cargo once a week. Handling (including customs clearance) of 650-750 units takes maximum 72 hours. On finalization of all necessary activities, expected average annual turnover of import cars should make 120-150 thou, thus transit of cars via land cross border points of the Leningrad region will decrease considerably after the terminal facilities are put into operation. Besides ro-ro cargo, the group’s complex handles containers and general cargo.
Oslo Marine Group was set up in 1999. As of today, the group is a multifunctional structure engaged in different sphere mainly insurance, leasing, real estate, treatment and sale of timber, port services. The holding’s consolidated assets total RUR 8.5 billion.