Latviski
Cargo turnover in the terminals of the Freeport of Riga has increased by 3.8% in the first two months of this year as compared with the same period of 2010. It proves that also in extraordinary conditions that the great frost and thick ice created this year the Freeport of Riga Authority can coordinate work of the port and ensure entering and leaving of ships.
Andris Ameriks, Chairman of the Board at the Freeport of Riga Authority, emphasizes: “Biased opinions that the Freeport of Riga Authority cannot deal with its obligations often could be heard in public space. We categorically decline such statements, and the best proof for it is the results achieved. Weather conditions were very harsh and made our services operate in emergency regime. Despite the caprices of nature that could be likened to natural disaster that the Gulf of Riga had not experienced for decades, we can be proud that all situations have been solved successfully. It has been a tough time also for stevedores – we thank them for understanding! Taking advantage of the situation I also would like to thank the crews of icebreaker Varma and the involved tugboats, port captain, and other services involved in solving the crisis situation; they did their work with responsibility and well-organized. We also highly appreciate the interest and efforts of the government, Ministry of Transport, as well as the Maritime Administration in solving the “ice crisis”.
In the first two months of this year, 4.8 million tons of cargos were handled at the Freeport of Riga, which is by 3.8% more than in the previous year. It should be reminded that also last year there was ice in the Gulf of Riga, but the conditions were not even near as dramatic as this year.
The biggest growth was experienced in oil product segment – it reached 1.35 million tons, which is by 16.8% more than last year.
Amount of general cargos has increased by 8.7%, which mainly was increase of the total amount of container cargos. At the beginning of this year, transshipment of container cargos was by 21.5% greater than in the previous period of account.
Positive tendency can be observed also in turnover of timber products – 433.1 thousand cubic meters were transshipped in January and February, which is by 6.8% more than before.
Total turnover of bulk cargos has decreased by 3%. In this segment, amount of woodchip cargos has decreased by 24.5%, but of coal cargos – by 6.7%. At the same time, the amount of artificial fertilizers, ore, ferroalloy and other bulk cargos maintain the tendency to increase - +15.6%, +175% and +60%, accordingly.
