Klaipėda Port: the year of 2023 were more successful than expected
Klaipėda Port finished the year 2023 with a cargo volume of one and a half million tonnes higher than forecasted at the beginning of the year – 32.7 million tonnes. The loss of cargo in recent years was partly compensated by an increase in the handling of timber, agricultural products, and LNG cargo. Altogether, this has resulted in a less significant overall loss of Klaipėda Port – in 2023, cargo handling volumes in Klaipėda Port declined by 9% or 3.4 million tonnes.
“I would say that the last year was a good year considering the geopolitical and economic situation. Although cargo handling has declined, we have a vision and a clear strategic direction for Klaipėda Port to be an innovative, efficient hub for port services, maritime industry, and green energy. Klaipėda Port has suffered the biggest shock in recent years, but the pace of investment is not slowing down, and cargo volumes in some cargo groups keep growing,” says Algis Latakas, Director General of the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.
The fall in cargo handling, compared to 2022, is mainly due to the suspension of handling operations of Belarusian fertilizers in February 2022 as a result of sanctions. Owing to the significant loss of fertilizer cargo intended for export, the import and export cargo flow in the Port has almost equalized and now comprises 60% of exports and 40% of imports.
By the year-end, the best-ever record was repeated and even surpassed, with the threshold of 1 million TEUs (standardized containers) once again exceeded. The handling throughput of containerized cargo in Klaipėda Port in 2023 is 1 million 50 thousand 804 TEUs (standardized containers). In 2022, Klaipėda Port ended the year with a cargo handling output of 1 million 47 thousand 941 TEUs (standardized containers). In terms of containerized cargo in tonnes, a decrease of 12 % or 1.3 million tonnes was recorded. The geopolitical situation, sanctions, declining volumes of export by local entrepreneurs, as well as gradually declining consumption – this is all reflected in the container segment’s cargo handling volumes.
Grain handling demonstrated the biggest growth this year increasing by almost 1 million tonnes or 30%, compared to 2022. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo throughput was up by 0.2 million tonnes (8%). Handling volumes of timber and frozen products also increased.
Total number of ferry and cruise ship passengers grew by 5 % to 355,000 in 2023.
2023 was a good year for the ship repair and shipbuilding sector – 102 ships were repaired at Klaipeda Port.
Klaipėda Port remains in the fourth position according to cargo handling statistics for 2023 and compared with the surrounding ports along the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.
