St Petersburg's new deepwater Bronka port has big box ambitions
ST PETERSBURG's new US$400 million deepwater port of Bronka has set its sights on becoming Russia's major hub for container shipping.
Bronka, located in the Gulf of Finland, is able to accommodate larger vessels than Saint Petersburg's old port can.
"In the long-term we are very positive about the Russian market," said Bronka terminal manager Stefan Wilkens. "Russia still has a low containerisation level."
At 28 TEU per capita, Russia is among the lowest users of containers, Mr Wilkens said, compared with 97 TEU per capita globally and 122 TEU in Europe, reported Fort Lauderdale-based Maritime Executive.
Port officials said Bronka represented the "fastest way" to reach consumer markets in Moscow. They said the first direct cargo to be sent 400 miles by rail to Moscow were to leave in March.
Fenix executive director Alexey Shukletsov told the conference that Bronka was targeting 80 million tons of cargo and 1.5 million TEU annually in the future, with initial trade pegged at 3.8 million tons and 350,000 TEU annually.
CMA CGM became the first international shipping line to start regular calls in January. The geared 1,124-TEU Voronezh, a feeder from Rotterdam, Hamburg and Ust-Luga was the first into Bronka as part of a St Petersburg shuttle service.
The first vessel delivered consumer goods from China and was loaded with containers carrying Russian goods destined for Rotterdam.
ST PETERSBURG's new US$400 million deepwater port of Bronka has set its sights on becoming Russia's major hub for container shipping.
Bronka, located in the Gulf of Finland, is able to accommodate larger vessels than Saint Petersburg's old port can.
"In the long-term we are very positive about the Russian market," said Bronka terminal manager Stefan Wilkens. "Russia still has a low containerisation level."
At 28 TEU per capita, Russia is among the lowest users of containers, Mr Wilkens said, compared with 97 TEU per capita globally and 122 TEU in Europe, reported Fort Lauderdale-based Maritime Executive.
Port officials said Bronka represented the "fastest way" to reach consumer markets in Moscow. They said the first direct cargo to be sent 400 miles by rail to Moscow were to leave in March.
Fenix executive director Alexey Shukletsov told the conference that Bronka was targeting 80 million tons of cargo and 1.5 million TEU annually in the future, with initial trade pegged at 3.8 million tons and 350,000 TEU annually.
CMA CGM became the first international shipping line to start regular calls in January. The geared 1,124-TEU Voronezh, a feeder from Rotterdam, Hamburg and Ust-Luga was the first into Bronka as part of a St Petersburg shuttle service.
The first vessel delivered consumer goods from China and was loaded with containers carrying Russian goods destined for Rotterdam.