In 2019 Q3, 4.3 million tonnes of cargo and 3.6 million passengers passed through the harbours of Tallinna Sadam. Compared to the same period of previous year, the cargo volume decreased by 22.1% mainly due to liquid bulk and the passenger volume increased by 3.5%. The number of ship calls grew by 7.3% to 2290 calls. Cumulative cargo volume for 9 months decreased by 8.3% and the number of passengers remained at the previous year’s level.
According to Valdo Kalm, Chairman of the Management Board of the Port of Tallinn, the decline in liquid bulk is not extraordinary, as it is caused by the general decline in market demand for dark oil products due to increasingly strict requirements for reducing the sulfur content in marine fuels. “The competition in liquid cargo handling continues to be very intense and the business is project-based, therefore quarterly volumes are volatile. The 30% strong growth in dry bulk will partially compensate for the decline in liquid bulk,” Kalm explained.
The number of passengers increased in Q3 mainly due to Tallinn-Helsinki and Muuga-Vuosaari routes. In total, passenger traffic between Estonia and Finland increased by 96 thousand passengers or 3.5%. For the first time, Muuga-Vuosaari has been presented as a separate route in the figures below, as the service for passengers with vehicles started by Eckerö and Tallink in June has started up very well and passenger volumes have become statistically significant. Passengers between Estonia and Finland traveling to destinations further from city center appreciate the opportunity of cheaper travel while avoiding congestion in Tallinn and Helsinki. In the cruise business we reached a new record already in 9 months – 641 thousand passengers, which is 3000 passengers more than last year’s annual result. “We are pleased that the number of Finnish travellers has recovered and cruise passengers’ interest in visiting Estonia is once again high,” noted Valdo Kalm.
In the previous reports of passengers and cargo volumes, the Muuga-Vuosaari route passengers were presented within the route “other”, including Q1 10 th passengers (Q1 2018: 8 th) and Q2 12 th (Q2 2018: 9 th).
Cargo volume by type of cargo and number of passengers by route in 2019 Q3 and 9 months is presented in the table below:
| Q3 2019 | Q3 2018 | change | 9M 2019 | 9M 2018 | change | |
| Cargo volume by type of cargo (th tonnes) |
4 275 | 5 489 | -22.1% | 14 284 | 15 581 | -8,3% |
| Liquid bulk | 1 116 | 2 596 | -57.0% | 5 161 | 6 877 | -25.0% |
| Ro-ro | 1 352 | 1 315 | 2.8% | 4 038 | 4 045 | -0.2% |
| Dry bulk | 1 246 | 979 | 27.3% | 3 202 | 2 762 | 15.9% |
| Containers | 447 | 455 | -1.9% | 1 395 | 1 406 | -0.8% |
| in TEUs | 56 340 | 56 184 | 0.3% | 169 636 | 165 106 | 2.7% |
| General cargo | 111 | 144 | -22.7% | 485 | 490 | -1.0% |
| Non-marine | 3 | 0 | 699.2% | 4 | 1 | 473.2% |
| Number of passengers by routes (thousand) |
3 600 | 3 478 | 3.5% | 8 297 | 8 305 | -0.1% |
| Tallinn-Helsinki | 2 779 | 2 730 | 1.8% | 6 747 | 6 756 | -0.1% |
| Tallinn-Stockholm | 299 | 301 | -0.9% | 715 | 793 | -9.8% |
| Muuga-Vuosaari | 56 | 9 | 509.7% | 78 | 27 | 194.7% |
| Tallinn-St.Petersburg | 31 | 32 | -0.4% | 59 | 63 | -6.0% |
| Cruise (traditional) | 400 | 380 | 5.2% | 641 | 624 | 2.7% |
| Other | 35 | 26 | 35.3% | 57 | 43 | 31.6% |
| Number of vessel calls by vessel type | 2 290 | 2 135 | 7.3% | 5 961 | 5 811 | 2.6% |
| Cargo vessels | 453 | 470 | -3.6% | 1 357 | 1 298 | 4.5% |
| Passenger vessels (incl. Ro-Pax) | 1 627 | 1 460 | 11.4% | 4 268 | 4 171 | 2.3% |
| Cruise vessels (traditional) | 210 | 205 | 2.4% | 336 | 342 | -1.8% |
More detailed statistics of passengers by nationality, gender and routes on monthly basis, can be viewed on the Port of Tallinn web page: http://ts.ee/statistics
Tallinna Sadam is one of the largest cargo- and passenger port complexes in the Baltic Sea region, which in 2018 serviced 10.6 million passengers and 20.6 million tons of cargo. In addition to passenger and freight services, Tallinna Sadam group also operates in shipping business via its subsidiaries – OÜ TS Laevad provides ferry services between the Estonian mainland and the largest islands, and OÜ TS Shipping charters its multifunctional vessel Botnica for icebreaking and construction services in Estonia and offshore projects abroad. Tallinna Sadam group is also a shareholder of an associate AS Green Marine, which provides waste management services. Tallinna Sadam group’s sales in 2018 totaled EUR 130.6 million, adjusted EBITDA EUR 74.4 million and net profit EUR 24.4 million.
Additional information:
Marju Zirel
Head of Investor Relations
AS Tallinna Sadam
[email protected]