May/June 2016
Russian Ports
Bronka bucks the trend
A
gainst a background of a sluggish
Russian economy, due in large part to
Western sanctions, it might seem foolhardy
to be investing in a large new container port
in the country.
But the speed with which consignors and one of
the world’s biggest shipping lines have stepped in
to move cargo through the brand new port of
Bronka suggests the investor Fenix LLC has
spotted potential for a modern port capable of
handling bigger vessels and providing higher levels
of service than currently available on Russia’s Baltic
Sea coast.
Historically, the terminals of the old port in St
Petersburg have not featured sufficient depth or
the technical capability to handle larger capacity
boxships. In some facilities containers are even
lifted using old-fashioned ropes and hooks instead
of purpose-built spreaders.
When fully operational Bronka will have deeper
water and be able to welcome post-panamax
vessels with a capacity up to 8,100 TEU. This, the
developer believes, will make St Petersburg a
genuine ocean port, offering Russian consignees
and shippers lower transport costs and greater
competitiveness against neighbouring Baltic ports,
like Poland’s Gdansk, which along with others, is
preparing to battle for Russian cargoes.
RTG cranes built by Konecranes of Finland. The
cranes have a stacking height of one-over-five
standard containers, can reach over a stack width
of six containers plus discharge and load rail
tracks, with a lifting capacity of 50 tons beneath
the spreader.
The high-performance container gantry cranes
have a boom reach of 51m. In twin-lift operation
they each have a lifting capacity of 65 tons. This
equipment is complemented during the first stage
by 25 Terberg terminal tractors with a capacity of
up to 36 tons, 25 Novatech roll-trailers, two empty
container stackers, two reach stackers for use on
rail tracks and for the RoRo Terminal, and a
Konecranes Loader with a lifting capacity of 33
tons.
Two rail sidings 535m in length are available at
the terminal site. Handled simultaneously, the two
halves of the train are combined into one block
train 1.3km away at Bronka Marshalling Yard.
Late March the first container block train arrived
at the rail terminal at Bronka on the Oktyabrskaya
Railway.
The consignor was Voskhod LLC. The train was
formed of 31 container rail carriers, carrying 61
containers full of FIBCs carrying mineral fertilisers
for shipment to Antwerp on the vessel CMA CGM
Violetta.
The whole train
was allocated for
discharge on two
MSCC Bronka
tracks. The train
was discharged
with railstackers
simultaneously at
both tracks
without shifting of
railcars.
Fenix has already
signed a long
term agreement
with deepsea
carrier CMA CGM
for handling and
storage of
container cargo.
CMA CGM is the
Two of four Liebherr quay cranes being delivered to the port in September 2015
third largest
Multipurpose Sea Cargo Complex (MSCC)
container shipping company with a total fleet
Bronka is on the outskirts of St Petersburg and
capacity of 1.8 million TEU. The company is already
lies on the southern bank of the Gulf of Finland.
one of the biggest container carriers in St
The port is directly linked to the St Petersburg
Petersburg, including reefer containers in its trades.
orbital highway and the Russian rail network. A
Today, the French container giant calls St
multi-functional cargo handling facility comprises
Petersburg under four regular services, connecting
two terminals plus a logistics centre. Covering
the port through European hubs with all
107 ha, the container terminal offers five berths
international routes. The calls at Bronka will be
along quays extending 1,200m. The RoRo
performed in accordance with a regular schedule
terminal covers 57ha, and with a quay length of
with actually operated vessels with capacity up to
710m permits simultaneous handling of three
1,800 TEU.
ships.
Long term relations with the new port
At the first stage of construction, handling
determined in the signed agreement will allow
capacity of the container terminal totals 1.45
CMA CGM to upgrade services through the port
million TEU a year, plus 260,000 units at the
with a modernised fleet including the new
RoRo terminal. A first-stage water depth of
building of larger size ice class vessels expected to
14.4m enables Bronka to handle post-panamax
be delivered this year. The agreement also covers
vessels.
development of new routes for shipments to and
The cargo handling operation currently has four
from Russia.
Liebherr quayside container gantry cranes and 10
www.port-bronka.ru
Bronka is on the outskirts of St Petersburg, away from the crowded area around the port’s older terminals
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