Magazines — RZD-Partner International — 1 (5) March-May 2006
1 (5) March-May 2006
"IF IT IS TRANSIT, WE'LL MAKE IT COMPETITIVE": "Russia hosts foreign airplanes, in the future we'll welcome trains (the Finnish "Sibelius" has already been calling) and, consequently, river vessels. We ought not to close, but, on the opposite, we should encourage the boost of transportation volumes", assures Igor Levitin, The RF Minister of Transport.DEPENDENT COAL: Lately Russian coal sector has been considered one of the most stable and fast developing, due to high coal prices on the world markets and investment activity of coal producers. Analysts evaluate coal produce at about 282 million tons in 2005.
TO SAVE RUSSIAN SHIPBUILDING: Russia is one of the leading sea powers in the world, historically in possession of a strong merchant, fishery and military fleet. However, by now it has almost lost its leading positions in the sphere of shipping and shipbuilding.
Contents
Editorial
EDITORIAL
The year of 2005 was rather stable for the Russian transport sector and all transport modes performed successfully. Throughput grew by 2.6% in comparison with 2004, due to produce volume growth in key sectors. Road transport increased most, namely to 193.6 billion tons per kilometer. Railways throughput went up by 3.1%. However, sea and river transport fell down by 3.2% and 9.8% respectively.
Business or supporting instrument
RF TRANSPORT: RESULT AND PROSPECTS
In 2005 OAO Russian Railways carried over 1.27 billion tons, which is 4% upyear-on-year. The target for 2006 is set at 1.3 billion tons (+2.8% year-on-year).Top five companies in 2005: results and projects
RF TRANSPORT: RESULT AND PROSPECTS
Last year was not an easy one for the Russian shipping companies. The tax scandal involving Volgotanker due to its suspected association with YUKOS passed on to the state level, and the whole situation had a negative influence on the company's financial condition and the output results. In 2005 the president of the Novoship company changed, and currently the future of the company is vague. At the same time, the financial figures of the largest Russian vessel owners were increasing; the programmes aimed at fleet renewal were carried out, and on the whole, the year of 2005 can be considered a successful one for the Russian shipping companies.
International road haulers association: We are satisfied with 2005 results
RF TRANSPORT: RESULT AND PROSPECTS
About 25% of the Russian foreign trade cargoes (according to the price of the goods) is transported by road haulages. "The figure is so high because the consumer entrusts more valuable cargoes, than those transported by other transport modes, to us", Yury Sukhin, President of the Russian International Road Haulers Association (ASMAP), asserts. What important changes happened in the life of Russian international road carriers last year?
Export services, or on the way to private investment
PROJECTS AND INVESTIMENT
Last year was of symbolic character for the Russian transport sector: the idea of public and private partnership actively discussed recently was given support at the legislative level. Moreover, experts of the RF Ministry of Transport worked out documents defining strategic tasks and development mechanisms for the sector. In particular, the federal target programme "Development of transport services export of Russia" reflects a new approach of the Ministry to choosing forms of implementation and control for different projects within the transport sector.
Dependent coal
SPECIAL PROJECT: COAL TRANSPORTATION
Lately Russian coal sector has been considered one of the most stable and fast developing, due to high coal prices on the world markets and investment activity of coal producers. Analysts evaluate coal produce at about 282 million tons in 2005. The export of coal also grew by four million tons in comparison with 2004 and amounted to 80 million tons.State's support is vitally needed
SPECIAL PROJECT: COAL TRANSPORTATION
Coal producers consider rail tariffs increase the key reason preventing coal export from growth and reducing the competitiveness of Russian coal on the world markets. Coal traditionally takes the biggest share (over 20%) of the aggregate rail transportation volume. Thus, coal producers and railmen are absolutely interdependent. Under what scenario will their cooperation continue?Time for Elga coal?
SPECIAL PROJECT: COAL TRANSPORTATION
OAO RZD's search for the best investment project for Elga coal deposit attracted significant interest from both Russian and foreign investors. At present the companies who bought tender documentation refrain from any comments; however, available information allows to assume with high degree of probability that an international consortium will be established whose major shareholder will be a Russian investor.
TransSiberian question
TRANSPORT CORRIDORS
In January 2006, transportation of containerized freight along the TransSiberian Railway almost stopped. On January 1, 2006, railway tariffs on transit freight transportation along the TransSib increased by 30% for loaded containers and threefold-fourfold for empty ones. That became the last straw for the cargo owners, already facing the imperfect work of the customs bodies and the drawbacks of logistics. As a result, according to the data of the port of Vostochny, in January 2006, only 825 transit containers were handled in the port, i.e. 3,712 containers down year-on-year.Market awaits new big subject
OAO RZD
The Russian Programme of the railway structural reform envisages its third stage to unfold in 2006 - 2010, with a view of creating a developed market of railway transportation. OAO RZD listed respective steps to take and submitted the document for approval by the Ministry of Transport and other authoritative bodies in February. In the second quarter of 2006 it will be approved by the RF Government. Major discussions are held about forming an affiliate that would specialize in cargo transportation, as well as about the potential separation of transportation and infrastructure businesses.Competition for cargo flows in the South of Russia
PORT
Russian handling capacities falling behind foreign trade cargo flows in the Black Sea region, although projects on ports infrastructure development and railway accesses can help to solve the problem...Customer to choose
PORT
According to the forecasts made by experts of the National Container Company, in the next three years an average growth of containerized cargo handling volume in the Southern ports will reach 50% per annum. Mr. Antonyan, Novoroslesexport JSC, and Mr. Klochko, Novorossiysk Junction Transport and Forwarding Enterprise JSC, commented on the nature of competition while developing the container infrastructure in the south of Russia.
Grain "from wheels": logistic technologies development in the port of Novorossiysk
PORT
Andrey Andreyev, General Director of Novorossiysk Transport Holding JSC, speaks about transport-forwarding companies in the South of Russia.Alternative to sea
PORT
Containerization is catching more and more market shares of the transport market of continental transportation between the countries of North-Western and Eastern Europe. The constantly growing prices for transportation by railway via Brest, on the one hand, and the problems with ports' capacities involved into intercontinental container transportation on the other hand, calls for new approaches to continental container transportation organization.Second vessel registration for Russia
CARRIER
At the end of 2005, the President of the Russian Federation signed a Bill "On Making Amendments to RF Separate Acts of Legislation in Connection with the Launch of the Russian International Vessel Registration" (¹168-ÔÇ from December 12, 2005). It took seven years to develop the Bill.
To remain the leader
MAKING BUSINESS IN RUSSIA
Kalmar Industries, a global leader providing container and heavy duty materials handling equipment, automation applications and related services, is a supplier of TransContainer, OAO RZD's affiliate specializing in container transportation and handling, as well as of the biggest container terminals. Managing Director of Kalmar Industries in Russia & CIS Esko Pystynen speaks about the company's experience while entering and exploiting the Russian market.Transport sector strives for unity
LOGISTICS
One of the most serious problems of the transport complex of Russia remains the undeveloped infrastructure and lack of efficient cooperation between the participants of the transportation process that causes heavy logistic expenses (24% compared to 11.7% in developed countries). At present, the Ministry of Transport is getting ready to implement the programme of logistic network launch that would allow to join the sector resources into the unified system and solve the crucial issues in a more efficient way.To save Russian shipbuilding
PRODUCTION AND SERVICES / Shipbuilding
Russia is one of the leading sea powers in the world, historically in possession of a strong merchant, fishery and military fleet. However, by now it has almost lost its leading positions in the sphere of shipping and shipbuilding. The Russian fleet has been almost driven out of the Russian foreign trade freight transportation sphere. If in the 1980-s, vessels under the Russian flag carried about 65% of the foreign trade freight handled by the Russian ports and brought up to USD 3 billion annually, in the 1990-s the volume of such transportation and of the sums submitted in the budget annually reduced almost tenfold.Forum "Russian Economy Days" in Finland
EXHIBITIONS AND SYMPOSIUMS
Russian Ministry of economic development and trade with the support of Russian Chamber of commerce and industry is holding the "Russian economy days" Forum in "Finland Hall", Helsinki, on April 19-20, 2006. The Forum is timed to the regular session of Russian-Finnish Intergovernmental Committee for economic cooperation.