Maritime trade in the Baltics continued adjusting to the changed geopolitical situation during 2023. Cargo turnover in the eastern Baltic ports followed a downward trend. However, Klaipeda Port in Lithuania performed better than expected by handling 32.7mt (million tonnes) [–9% year on year]. The loss of transit cargo from Russia and Belarus (mostly fertilizer) was partly compensated by increase in timber, agricultural products, and LNG. The threshold of one million TEUs was once again exceeded, and despite of 12% decrease in containerized tonnage it contributed almost one third to the total cargo turnover in the port. All dry bulk cargoes remained at the same level (9.2mt).
Traditionally strong in the bulk sector, Klaipeda Stevedoring Company KLASCO is making significant strides towards sustainability. The introduction of an environmentally friendly, efficiency-enhancing electric E-Crane for bulk cargo handling in the southern region of the Klaipeda port underscores this commitment. Furthermore, the implemen t ation of a modern terminal management system later this year, along with the upgrading of the monitoring system at the liquid fertilizer terminal, aims to optimize handling processes while upholding the highest safety standards.
This entails not only seeking out novel cargo streams but also delivering intelligent, efficiency-boosting solutions to clients. This year, KLASCO introduces an innovative approach to packing and blending fertilizers within the port, tailored to meet the specific requirements of customers. This initiative streamlines the distribution process from the terminal to the end user, thereby saving valuable time for the customer.
Recently, KLASCO has emerged as a pivotal player in Lithuania’s inland waterway logistics landscape. Cargo at KLASCO is efficiently loaded onto barges, facilitating transportation from the port of Klaipeda along the river Nemunas. The Nemunas waterway, linked through the Port of Klaipeda to international routes in the Baltic Sea and connected via the Curonian Lagoon to the Western European inland waterway system, further enhances the connectivity and accessibility of KLASCO’s logistical operations.
Driven by evolving geopolitical dynamics and shifts in logistical networks, the imperative to diversify its cargo handling portfolio became evident. KLASCO is poised for significant transformations as it ventures into container handling, backed by a substantial investment of €12 million. In addition to conventional container handling operations, the terminal will offer container repair services. Situated in the southern part of Klaipeda port, on the Smelte peninsula, the terminal will also undertake the handling of oversized heavy cargo, including wind turbine segments.
Klaipeda stevedoring company BEGA took into account evolving geopolitical conditions and continued transformation of its terminals. This strategic move aimed at successfully reaching export markets and securing import of products essential to the agricultural sector. BEGA successfully restructured the fertilizer export terminal to provide a complementary export service for Lithuanian grain and other agricultural products. This increased BEGA’s agricultural product storage capacity from previous 400,000 to almost 600,000 tonnes while loading three ships simultaneously.
On the other hand, due to sanctions and other reasons leading to disruptions in traditional fertilizer production and supply chains, both the port and farmers experienced the impact of losing access to fertilizers from sanctioned countries and local markets. By adapting facilities for the discharge and temporary storage of bulk products, BEGA created opportunities for fertilizer imports from the United States, North Africa, and other distant markets. Furthermore, by investing in additional bulk cargo bagging equipment, bagging capacity was increased more than threefold from 2,500 to 8,500 tonnes per day. Currently, various fertilizers packaged in big bags at BEGA are delivered to their final recipients in Lithuania, other Baltic countries, and Poland.
Besides that, in 2023 BEGA was involved in transportation of the largest homogeneous oversized cargo ever handled at the Klaipeda seaport. The 1,500-tonne reactor was successfully unloaded from a specialized vessel at BEGA berths and transported to the oil refinery of ORLEN Lietuva in Mazeikiai, Lithuania. Several other oversized cargo units were also unloaded at BEGA.
Malku Ilankos Terminal (MIT) is one of the most successful agricultural and bulk product handling terminals due to its continuous development. The year 2023 was an exceptional one with a record throughput of 1.33mt and 236 vessels. Last year, the terminal invested around €2 million and expanded its bulk storage capacity to store as much as 160,000 tonnes of bulk cargo. It included building two new cement tanks taking their total number to five with storage capacity up to 6,000 tonnes at a time. Most of the cargo is handled in an environmentally friendly way -— using electrical equipment. Aiming to minimize the environmental impact of operations, a 320kW solar panel was installed on the roof of the warehouse.