The group of companies “Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg” shoots for a higher quality level and a bigger range of provided services. In order to handle foreign cargo flows in a more efficient way and to provide the most convenient conditions for its clients the companies of the group not only develop the current infrastructure to preserve the existing cargo flows, but also perform the conversion of their facilities to attract new cargo flows.
Since 2007 within the development programme of the group of companies “Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg” 4 projects have been successfully implemented.
In May, 2008 the first phase of car terminal with the annual capacity of 80 000 cars was put into operation. Car terminal with the total area of 5 ha allows to store simultaneously 1900 cars on its territory. This terminal is equipped with the state-of-art information system which provides monitoring and planning of acceptance procedures, shipping and yard shifting operations. This allows to discharge the vessel at the terminal within 12 hours.
In January, 2009 Multipurpose Reloading Complex with the annual capacity of 3 mln. tons was put into operation on the territory of deep-water port of Ust-Luga. Its area of specialization is discharge, storage and loading of export/import general and bulk cargoes. Terminal can accommodate vessels with the draft up to 14 m and deadweight up to 70 thousand tons.
In April of 2009 the first phase of ro-ro terminal with the annual capacity of 1 mln. tons was put into operation on the territory of First Stevedoring Company. Terminal makes it possible to handle all types of ro-ro cargoes: cars, roll-trailers, highway freighters, trains, caterpillars and wheeled equipment, which are transported further via check-point by trucks or railway transport. Terminal storage areas can accommodate simultaneously up to 3000 units of various equipment. At the present moment design works of multipurpose roofed storage facility for cargoes on the roll-trailers are being carried out. Project envisages the equipment of terminal with automated inventory control system which will make it possible to increase the efficiency of handling of cargoes and to control the store process at every stage.
Terminal for ro-ro cargoes – one of the largest in Russia – is in great demand by trucking companies due to the limited throughput capacity of the landside check-points at the borders with Finland and Estonia and due to the transfer of the custom processing to the borders of Russian Federation.
Within “Programme on transfer of cargo flows from the areas of the Greater Port of Saint-Petersburg to the main roads”, ratified by the Administration of Saint-Petersburg the companies of the group “Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg” took measures to prevent congestion by trucks nearby Gapsalskiye Gates and on the adjacent streets. New buffer zone and traffic control office were opened on the territory of motor depot of JSC “Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg”. In 2009 over 70 000 trucks were serviced by traffic control office.
These measures make it possible to decrease the environmental burden on the residential areas adjacent to the port and constitute the part of port environmental programme which envisages the removal of environmentally unfriendly cargoes from the territory of Saint-Petersburg. This programme includes the construction of water treatment facilities, connection to collectors and modernization of the existing water treatment facilities on the territories of the stevedoring companies of the group in order to met the current international standards.
All the implemented projects also take into consideration the compliance with the requirements related to the technical efficiency, automation of the management processes, security of port facilities, cargo safety and arrangement of border, customs and sanitary controls.
At the present moment the completion of the construction of the first phase of container terminal with the annual capacity of 345 thousand TEUs, which was started in 2009 is getting closer. All the works related to putting of the first phase of the terminal into operation, including design works, construction, erection of equipment and training of the personnel are planned to be completed in the third quarter of 2010. Terminal will be handling all kinds of export and import containers, including reefer containers.
In 2009 design works of refrigerated terminal with the annual capacity of 1.5 mln. tons have started. This project will give the opportunity to decrease the costs of major importers of the food products in Saint-Petersburg and in the North-western part of Russia. New reefer capacities will maintain certain temperatures inside (-28C-+14C) which will ensure the quality level of the food products and their compliance with the European standards.
Dramatic changes in the structure of the external trade of Russia due the world financial crisis caused significant changes in the cargo flows of Baltic ports. In order to ensure the stable development of port complex the group of companies “Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg” is trying to diversify its capacities: at the present time and in future stevedoring companies will handle the wide range of cargoes.
Development programme of port infrastructure up to 2015 envisages placing into operation of the following facilities:
· terminal for ferrous metals with the annual capacity of 2 mln. tons;
· terminal for ro-ro cargoes with the annual capacity of 1.4 mln. tons;
· refrigerated terminal with the annual capacity of 1.5 mln. tons;
· multipurpose handling facilities with the annual capacity of 3 mln. tons;
· second phase of car terminal with the annual capacity of 170 thousand units (255 thousand tons);
· second phase of container terminal for handling of 1.5 mln. TEUs (17 mln. tons) per year.
Total capacity of new handling facilities will make it possible to handle 25 mln. tons of cargoes per year. So the modernization will make it possible to increase twice the throughput capacity of port facilities by means of efficient use of the territory and infrastructure.
