In the first quarter of 2020, Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg JSC (SP SPb) handled 1.9 million tonnes of cargo, up 13% versus the same period of the previous year. Handling of general cargo climbed by 1% to 1.55 million tonnes, transshipment of dry bulk cargo surged four-fold to 259,000 tonnes.
In the reporting period, transshipment of ferrous metal grew by 2% to 814,000 tonnes, metal scrap – by 31% to over 225,000 tonnes. The port earlier upgraded the yard for handling of a wide range of ferrous metal and put into operation a dedicated facility for transshipment of export metal scrap. That let multiply rates of cargo handling operations and ensure high level of services provided to Russian manufacturers of metal.
Transshipment of non-ferrous metal demonstrated negative dynamics: -20% versus the same period of the previous year, to 258,000 tonnes. The decrease should be attributed to reduction of aluminum exports by domestic iron and steel works. The share of metal in total throughput of the company exceeded 68%.
With the availability of required storage infrastructure created by MP SPb cargo owners obtained an opportunity to enhance efficiency of shipload accumulation and its compactness. So, transshipment of wood pellets surged by 32% to 118,000 tonnes, transshipment of mineral fertilizers in big-bags increased by 9% to 130,000 tonnes. The company plans further increase of these cargo flows. It is to be driven by consistent development of required infrastructure.
Container turnover in 1Q’2020 totaled 7,470 TEUs.
From the beginning of the year, exports of SP SPb climbed by 1% to 1.68 million tonnes, imports rocketed 12 times to 222,000 tonnes.
