Cargo traffic. Lithuania

Lithuanian Transport Ministry to propose rebuilding tracks to Latvia

BC, Vilnius, 16.11.2017.

Lithuania's Transport and Communications Ministry will suggest to the government rebuilding the railway stretch from Mazeikiai to Renge, Latvia, which recently caused the European Commission to impose a EUR 28 million fine for Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LG), informs LETA/BNS.

"Our proposal to the government will be to rebuild Renge. We have to give an answer to the (European) Commission by December 18 on the steps we plan to take in case of the fine. Rebuilding Renge will be part of the decision," Transport and Communications Minister Rokas Masiulis said at a news conference in Vilnius dedicated to the meeting of his three Baltic colleagues.

Latvia's Transport Minister Uldis Augulis expressed belief that Lithuania would rebuild the tracks dismantled in 2008, however, did not specify whether Latvian companies would file claims against Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai for compensation of damages.

"I truly hope that the Lithuanian side would take into consideration the European Union proposals and rebuild the missing part of the railway (…). Latvian businessmen will look at their losses and decide on further steps. We cannot guarantee anything," the Latvian minister told the Vilnius news conference.

Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai, the Lithuanian state-run company, has announced plans to rebuild the 19-km tracks from Orlen Lietuva's factory to Renge and thus eliminate the violation that was slammed with the EC fine. At the same time, the company pledged to file a claim against the EC fine in an effort to reduce it and defend corporate reputation.

The government should decide on correction of the violation by Dec. 18, the deadline for the appeal against the EC fine.

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/transport/&doc=135110

Klaipeda Container Terminal to work with China's Cosco Shipping

BC, Vilnius, 14.11.2017.

Klaipedos Konteineriu Terminalas (Klaipeda Container Terminal), one of the biggest stevedoring companies in Klaipeda, has managed to attract one more shipping line, China's Cosco Shipping, the Vz.lt news website reported on November 13th, cites LETA/BNS.

Cosco, which until now used the service of other feeder lines in Klaipeda, will come to the Lithuanian port with its own ships every week starting next month, it wrote.

Klaipeda will be one of the ports on the company's Gdansk-Helsinki-Riga-Klaipeda route to generate container traffic for large ocean-going vessels from the Polish port of Gdansk to the Far East and back.

Klaipedos Konteineriu Terminalas currently works with around ten container lines, including X-Press Lines, Yang Ming, Unifeeder, Containerships, OOCL and others.

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/good_for_business/&doc=135025

Klaipedos Nafta to invest up to EUR 21 mln in embankment reconstruction

BC, Vilnius, 15.11.2017.

Lithuania's oil product and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals operator Klaipedos Nafta (Klaipeda Oil) intends to invest up to 20.9 million euros (including VAT) in reconstruction of embankments, reports LETA/BNS.

The company said its shareholders would be asked on Dec. 6 to give a green light to the board decision to reconstruct two of the port's embankments.

Constructed in 1963-1964, the depth of the embankments should be increased to 17 m, which would enable the oil terminal to accept three tankers instead of the current two.

According to earlier reports, Klaipedos Nafta plans on investing 49.5 million euros in expansion of its oil terminal, with plans to build 12 new reservoirs for light oil products, a new unloading bridge and a railway.

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/good_for_business/&doc=135082