Strong development in ferry traffic
„13 million gross tonnes of cargo were handled at Rostock overseas port in the first six months of this year, i.e. 800,000 tonnes less than in the same period last year. Wheeled cargo in ferry and ro-ro traffic notched up a seven percent increase compared to the first half of 2017: 8.7 million tonnes were hoisted over the side at the ferry and ro-ro terminal from January to June 2018. In the first half of the year the ferry and ro-ro goods accounted for 67 percent of overall handling at the all-purpose port of Rostock. This strong growth was not enough to fully compensate for the losses in high-tonnage areas such as grain, coal and cement. One third of total handling or 4.3 million tonnes were achieved by handling dry bulk, liquid and general cargo. The number of ferry passengers carried to and from Northern Europe increased by 50,000 to 1.05 million”, says Dr. Gernot Tesch, Managing Director of ROSTOCK PORT GmbH.
Rostock overseas port recorded 3,650 calls by ferry, ro-ro, cargo and cruise vessels in the first six months of the year, 2,905 of which were port calls by ferries and ro-ro vessels.
Wheeled cargo
210,098 trucks (escorted units) were carried on the three ferry and three ro-ro services to and from Denmark, Sweden and Finland, an impressive increase of nine percent. Handling of unescorted units declined slightly with 65, 446 trailers having been loaded and unloaded (minus one percent). In addition 8,002 railway wagons were carried by sea in the first half of 2018. This was 565 wagons more than in the same period last year. The number of cars carried also increased by four percent to 189,150.
The 416,000 tonnes of paper rolls handled in the first half of 2018 lead us to expect a new record by the end of the year. In 2017 a total of 706,000 tonnes of paper rolls were handled.
37 intermodal transport trains run between Rostock and Verona (14), Hamburg (5), Karlsruhe (5), Brno (6), Wuppertal (3), Halle-Schkopau (2) and Treviso (2) every week. During the first six months of 2018 the number of units handled at the intermodal terminal decreased from 43,066 in the same period last year to 38,695 load units this year and thus by ten percent. “The development in intermodal transport is determined by increased competition for intermodal transport connections among the ports. We continue to work with all our partners to resist this trend, to intensify individual services and to establish new intermodal transport connections“, says Dr. Gernot Tesch.
Bulk goods and general cargo
The handling of liquid goods during the first six months of 2018 showed a clear decline by 24 percent. On the whole 1.1 million tonnes, especially gas oil and naphtha, were pumped across the edge of the quay.
There was also a marked decline in the handling of dry bulk to three million tonnes, one quarter less than during the same period last year. In the first six months of 2018 400,000 tonnes less of wheat and barley were handled, 370,000 tonnes less of coal, 135,000 tonnes less of rapeseed and just under 100,000 tonnes less of cement. The only notable increase was in the handling of split gravel (plus 100,000 tonnes).
In the general cargo division the amounts handled, at 268,000 tonnes and thus 19 percent less, were also below those of the same period last year. Above all there were fewer rotor blades for wind power plants to handle, but more pipes.
Projects and investments of ROSTOCK PORT GmbH
„In the first six months of 2018 ROSTOCK PORT GmbH invested just under four million Euro in the infrastructure and the improvement of processes at the port", says Jens A. Scharner, Managing Director of ROSTOCK PORT GmbH. In August 2018 ROSTOCK PORT will have created all preconditions for the new partial junction between the motorway and the eastern seaport.
The federal government is still going to conduct a formal plan approval procedure for the direct access and exit road sections of the partial junction to the A19 motorway. The planning for permission to build these was completed in the spring of this year. At the latest in 2019 the federal government is to start construction of the partial junction to the A19.
As planned the new building of the dry bulk berth 23 on the eastern side of port basin B was begun, which will require a total investment of about 20 million Euro. The new building of the more than 50-year-old quay facility at berth 23 with a length of 270 metres is part of the dry bulk terminal on pier 3. The dry bulk terminal at berths 23 and 24 is mainly used for importing hard coal for the nearby power station. „In order to enable us to service larger bulk carriers and thus increase the handling efficiency the draught at berth 23 must be increased. Since the existing quay structure is in need of reconditioning and it is impossible to increase the draught here for technical reasons we are setting about the new building of berth 23. At the same time we are going to increase the load-bearing capacity of the quay facility from two to five tonnes per square metre”, explains Jens A. Scharner. The thorough repairs of berths 21 and 22 at port basin B were completed in 2017.
As a statutory compensation measure for infrastructure projects at the port, ROSTOCK PORT has been investing in the creation of an area of woods and meadows of around 20 hectares east of Werftallee in Gross Klein since last year. This area is being improved into a nature experience and recreation area until the end of 2018.
Furthermore ROSTOCK PORT has successfully completed the nature protection project for the ecological improvement of the Diedrichshäger Moor (bog) near Warnemünde. This measure was approved and granted planning permission in 2009. It will be available to the port as potential compensation in nature protection for future extensions at the existing special-purpose area of the port via an eco-account.
A project to upgrade berth 15 for heavy loads was begun. After completion of the work this quay will be able to carry a crane facility weighing approx. 7,000 tonnes. Another upgrade for heavy loads was begun at berth 10 which is to improve the ro-ro loading of extra-heavy components.
The invitations to tender and start of construction of two large port construction measures are still planned for the summer of 2018. The improvement of berths 62/63 with ramps is to allow ferry and ro-ro vessels over 230 metres in length to be accommodated after completion in 2019.
The new building of berth 50 with two additional new ro-ro ramps at port basin A will follow immediately afterwards. EU-wide invitations to tender are being prepared for both projects. After the implementation of both measures the port of Rostock will be well prepared for accommodating the increasing number of longer vessels.
After the completion of the planning permission procedure initiated in February 2018 for the extension of the „Information and Organisation Centre for Maritime Tourism” ROSTOCK PORT plans to start construction of a roofed complex of buildings at berth P8 in Warnemünde in autumn 2018. The building is to have a total length of 186 metres and a width of 30 metres. The height will be similar to that of the Warnemünde Cruise Center at berth P7. The gross floor area will amount to approximately 3,400 square metres. The foundation work for the complex of buildings is planned for the winter half-year of 2018/19 while the building construction itself will be implemented in the 2019/2020 winter halfyear.
Successful cruise season
A total of 207 port calls by 45 cruise liners are expected on 122 days of this year. 183 times the vessels are berthing in Warnemünde and 24 times at the overseas port. Three port calls by the passenger vessel Albatros of Phoenix Reisen have been notified for December so that the 2018 cruise season in Warnemünde will only end shortly before Christmas.