St Petersburg port upgrades total US$70 million in 2009

THE RUSSIAN Port of St Petersburg spent more than RUB2.1 billion (US$69.66 million) on port infrastructure development in 2009 - twice as much as in the previous year.

Within last year's total, the port spent RUB1.5 billion in the construction of the first stage of a container terminal at Fourth Stevedoring Company site, which will have an annual capacity of 350,000 TEU, as well as the acquisition of equipment, according to the Russian Transport Daily Report.

The terminal is designed to handle all types of exported and imported container cargo, including reefer contents and is expected to commence operations in the second quarter of 2010.

The report said that St Petersburg Port spent about RUB10 million on pre-project documentation, as well as a sanitary survey and an environmental study, for a reefer terminal that will be able to handle 1.5 million tons of cargo annually.

The port also spent around RUB60 million on warehouse reconstruction and development of open storage areas for general cargo in the first and second port areas. In addition, RUB33 million was spent on modernising the port's transport infrastructure.

Furthermore, around RUB500 million was invested in the final stage of construction and acquisition of equipment for a new ro-ro terminal, which will boast an annual production capacity of one million tons.

The report added the ro-ro terminal was commissioned by First Stevedoring Company last April. The port spent over RUB16 million on the design of a multi-purpose warehousing complex for open storage at the ro-ro terminal that will cover an area measuring 12,700 square metres.

(Source:www.schednet.com)