OREANDA-NEWS. December 16, 2008. Following cargo handling results of January-November 2008, Klaipeda port has reached the biggest turnover in its history – 27,67 mln. t, i. e. by 1,1 percent more than the total turnover of the whole last year or by 11,1 percent more than during January-November  2007, reported the press-centre of Klaipeda State Seaport.
 
During January-November this year there grew the handling volumes of oil products (+1,96 mln. t, handled 8,50 mln. t), containers (from the point of view of tonnage) (+0,54 mln. t, handled 3,27 mln. t), bulk fertilizers (+0,47 mln. t, handled  5,23 mln. t), agricultural products (+0,34 mln. t, handled 1,45 mln. t) and raw sugar (+0,17 mln. t, handled 0,33 mln. t) , comparing to the same period 2007.

Handling of containers in TEU increased by 18,5 percent, and Ro-Ro units decreased by 6,8 percent.

During eleven months of this year the total number of ferry passengers has slightly decreased comparing to the same period last year (-1,4 percent) and made  267,3 thousand.

In Butinge terminal during January-November 2008 8,27 mln. t of crude oil was handled  (the total stevedoring volume increased by more than two times).

2,37 mln.t of cargo was handled in Klaipeda port during November 2008, i.e. the monthly cargo turnover increased by 14,2 percent, comparing to November 2007.

Cargo handling in Klaipeda port during November 2007 and 2008
During November this year there increased stevedoring volumes of liquid cargo (+60,7 percent) and bulk and dry bulk cargo(+5,0 percent), and the volumes of general cargo decreased by 10,7 percent, comparing to November 2007.

Such significant growth of liquid cargo volumes was predetermined by increased oil products handling +85,5 percent (during November 2008 828,04 thousand tons was handled, during November 2007- 446,37 thousand tons, difference  +381,67 thousand tons). Stevedoring volumes of liquid fertilizers decrease (during November this year 49,06 thousand tons was handled, during November 2007 – 88,23 thousand tons, difference -39,17 thousand tons).

Comparing bulk cargo stevedoring volumes of November 2008 and 2007, there mostly grew the volumes of agricultural products (+76,36 thousand tons, handled 244,80 thousand t), minerals and building materials (+40,21 thousand t, handled123,29 thousand t) and peat (+9,20 thousand t, handled 17,45 thousand t) in Klaipeda port. During November there decreased stevedoring volumes of scrap metal (-28,21 thousand t, handled 23,29 thousand t), bulk fertilizers (-28,17 thousand t, handled 315,24 thousand t) and raw sugar (-20,60 thousand t, handled 3,50 thousand t), comparing to the same period 2007.

Speaking about general cargo there increased container handling (from the point of view of tonnage) (+20,53 thousand t, handled 267,18 thousand t) and iron and steel products (+1,05 thousand t, handled 30,67 thousand t). There decreased Ro-Ro cargo (from the point of view of tonnage) (-43,74 thousand t, handled 291,69 thousand t), timber  (-37,50 thousand t, handled 38,85 thousand t) and packed fertilizers (-12,14 thousand t, handled 18,86 thousand t).

During November this year the turnover of containers in TEU was by 20,0 percent bigger than during November last year (during November 2008 - 32.235 TEU, difference  +5.373 TEU). Ro-Ro units handling decreased by 15,6 percent (during November 2008 - 14.816 units, difference  -2731 units).

During November 2008 13,33 thousand passengers were serve din Klaipeda port, i.e. by 5,0 percent less than during the same period last year.

Nonetheless that during the second half of 2008 the decrease of consumption is reflected in cargo handling results, we expect that this year Klaipeda port will finish by reaching the biggest turnover of 30 million tons during the whole history of the port.