OREANDA-NEWS. November 12, 2009. In ten months of 2009 Klaipeda Port handled 22,51 million tons of sea cargo , i.e. less by -11,0 percent or by 2,79 million tons than during the corresponding period of 2008, but more by +1,7 percent than it was forecasted for the current year in Klaipeda Port Strategy Plan for 2009-2011, reported the press-centre of Klaipeda Port.

Klaipeda Port handlings that have started increasing since the middle of the year positively correct annual port cargo turnover, therefore the difference between the handling results of 2008 and 2009 decreases every month.

- the I half of the year -18,0 percent,
- after three quarters -13,1 percent,
- in January – October decreased up to -11,0 proc.
 
The highest growing rates in January – October of the current year were recorded in dry and bulk cargo sector. Handling rates of agriculture products (+231,8 thousand tons, 303,9 thousand tons were handled, the change was +19,3 percent)  and dry peat(+209,7 thousand tons, 303,9 thousand tons were handle, the change was +3,2 times) increased mostly. Cargo volume increase was rather significant in molasses handling (+18,1 thousand tons, 31,9 thousand tons were handled, the change was +2,3 times) if to compare with handlings of January – October of 2008 
 
2,38 million tons of cargo were handled in January – October, 2009, i.e. more by +10,9 percent or + 234,7 thousand tons than October of the last year.  

In October of 2009 the turnover of dry and bulk cargo comprising the biggest part of port cargo increased by 41,2 percent, liquid cargo handlings increased by 15,8 percent and general cargo handling decreased by – 16,3 percent comparing with October indices of the last year.

Liquid cargo handlings were mainly determined by increasing oil product handling in the Port (597,1 thousand tons were handled in October of 2009, 499,2 thousand tons were handled in October of 2008, the change was +97,8 thousand tons). Compared to October of 2008, handling of fertilizers decreased mostly in liquid cargo turnover (68,9 thousand tons were handled in October of 2009, 74,9 thousand tons were handled in October of 2008, the change was -6,02 thousand tons)

In terms of October 2009 and 2008 dry cargo nomenclatures the most significant positive changes were recorded in the handlings of fertilizers (+308,4 thousand tons, 589,1 thousand tons were handled, the change made +2,1 times), peat (+25,7 thousand tons were handled, the change was 3,6 times), metal scrap (+19,8 thousand tons, 26,5 thousand tons were handled, the change was +4,0 times) and agriculture products (+10,6 thousand tons, 221,2 thousand tons were handled, the change was +5,0 percent). In October of 2009 handlings of raw materials for sugar industry (-32,3 thousand tons, 6,7 thousand tons were handled, the change was -82,8 percent) minerals and construction materials (-27,3 thousand tons, 52,9 thousand tons were handled, the change was -34,1 percent) decreased mostly comparing with October of the last year.

In terms of October 2009 general cargo nomenclature the turnover of timber handling jumped up (+29,5 thousand tons, 56,8 thousand tons were handled, the change was +2,1 times) comparing with October 2008. The biggest drop in handling figures was recorded for containers (in terms of tonnage) (-64,9usand tons, 254,2 thousand tons were handled, the change was – 20,3 percent), and iron and steel ware (-35,0 thousand tons, 31,6 thousand tons were handled, the change was -52,6 percent),  Ro-Ro cargo (in terms of tonnage) (-21,5 thousand tons, 31,6 thousand tons were handled, the change was-6,2 percent), packed fertilizers (-21,0 thousand tons, 23,6 thousand were handled, the change was-47,1 percent) and handling of refrigerated products (-18,7 thousand tons, 36,0 thousand tons were handled, the change was – 34,2 percent) comparing with October 2008.

In October of 2009 the turnover of container units (TEU) in the port was less by -39,8 percent than during October of 2008 (in October of 2009 21 166 TEU were handled, the change was– 13 995 TEU). Handling of Ro-Ro units decreased by – 10,4 percent (16 011 TEU was handled in October of 2009, the change was – 1 862 units).

599,3 thousand tons of crude oil were handled in Butinges terminal in October of 2009, i.e. the handling volumes increased by 19,7 percent comparing with the October of the last year when 500,9 thousand tons were handled.

16,1 thousand passengers came to Klaipeda on line ferries in October 2009, i.e. less by 2,1 percent than in October of the last year.