MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. Port Alliance, the management company of seaports located in three main export destinations, increased primary cargoes transshipment by 17.8% year on year in April to 3.67 mln metric tons, the company told TASS.
"Total cargo loading on vessels in April amounted to 3.67 mln tons, which is 17.8% higher than indicators in the like period of the last year," the company said.
The Osterra terminal boosted throughput by 57.8% in April and reached the level of 2.16 mln metric tons. Maly Port in Nakhodka increased the volumes by 19.6% and handled 359.600 tons of cargoes.
Transshipment in the Murmansk Commercial Seaport plummeted by 36.5% to 604,900 metric tons because shippers are losing interest in this destination for the third year in a row, primarily as regards steam coal. The Murmansk Bulk Terminal handled 313,200 metric tons as of the end of April, up 16% year on year. The Tuapse Bulk Terminal transshipped 197,900 metric tons of fertilizers and showed the adjusting increase by 10%. The Port Favor marine terminal in Ust-Luga shipped 37,800 metric tons of ammonia for exports.
"We endeavor to maximize the use of technical capabilities of all our assets. The main coal flow is now eastbound, particularly to Vanino, and our task is to process cargo swiftly and without faults. The tandem of Osterra and Maly Port enables us to quickly redistribute flows while working with the maximum return. At the same time, we continue gradual diversification of the cargo base in the Murmansk Commercial Seaport and the Murmansk Bulk Terminal, adapting to the decline of coal volumes. We are preparing Port Favor for the second stage launch," COO of Port Alliance Sergey Galkin said.
Port Alliance is managing ports and terminals in Murmansk, the Khabarovsk Region, Ust-Luga, Tuapse and Nakhodka. The total capacity of assets is over 80 mln metric tons of cargo per year.