11.5 million tonnes of cargo handled at the Port of Gdansk

06.07.2005

According to the forecasts for 2005, the Port of Gdansk had been set to process a volume of 23.8 million tonnes of a variety of cargoes. This shows a year-on-year growth by some 0.5 million tonnes of goods, as compared to the record-breaking 2004. A robust level of cargo handling reported in June confirmed another record high results in the history of the Port of Gdansk likely to be attained.

June this year saw Gdansk stevedores handle 1,835,680 tonnes, which afforded to reach the mark close to 11.5 million tonnes in the first half-year. This volume has yet to comprise the cargo processed at all quays, thus on the whole, the first half-year of 2005 has brought an increased volume of cargo handled at a level enabling to accomplish the set targets.

The largest share of cargoes processed at the Port of Gdansk is still taken by liquid fuels that, during this year's six months, amounted to 6,127,331 tonnes.

- Significantly, in that period of time, over 5 million tonnes of transit oil had been handled - emphasizes Marek Czernowski, Chief Dispatcher at the Port of Gdansk. This volume allows the estimation that, over the entire year, it will surpass the mark of 10 million tonnes, a growth can be expected, therefore, in the overall volume of liquid fuels processed in 2005 (11.5 million tonnes in 2004). The coal handling rates look similarly promising.

- Fortunately, the predicted dramatic plunge in cargo handling has not proved to be the case for the Port of Gdansk - insists M. Czernowski. Over the first half-year, a volume of 3,205,314 tonnes of coal was processed i.e. almost 800 thou. tonnes more than in the first half-year of 2004. Such a growth renders it possible to make up for the drop in general cargo turnover as, during the six months, this type of cargo accounted for as little as 760 thou. tonnes.

Lower rates of general cargo turnover do not entail a standstill when it comes to container turnover. For a longer period of time now, the Gdansk Container Terminal has shown tremendous dynamics in container handling, with the first half-year attesting to this trend. June this year saw the Szczecinskie Quay at the Gdansk Container Terminal process 5,739 TEU, whilst the entire first half-year of 2005 - nearly 31 thou. TEU. For the sake of comparison - over the corresponding six month of 2004, the volume of 16,750 TEU had been handled. Sustaining such a dynamic growth until the end of the year may result in the cargo handling volume of 62 thou. TEU in 2005 (in 2004, the GTK had processed 41,184 TEU sea-borne).

The figures on cargo handling volumes set out above, after the information from all quays have been compiled and completed, along with the archive data will be available on graphs in the "Cargo statistics" section.