Stevedoring company in Lithuanian port of Klaipeda offers to export Ukrainian grain
Photo by: wikipedia.org
One of the largest stevedoring companies of the Klaipeda port in Lithuania — Bulk Cargo Terminal (Birių krovinių terminalas, BKT) — offered Ukraine its capacities for shipment of grain cargoes, Delfi.lt reports.
Experts in logistics estimate that only about 1 mln t of Ukrainian grain per year can be transported through Lithuania, since the country's logistics chain, first of all, railroads, is not prepared for the transportation of large quantities of it.
The management of the port of Klaipeda, the enterprises of which already ship small consignments of Ukrainian grain, claims that the capacity can be increased to 8-9 mln t per year.
"In case a corresponding agreement is reached between all interested parties, BKT could transship about 10 mln t of Ukrainian grain, or about 1 mln t per month, by the harvest of 2023," said Igor Udovitsky, the owner of the controlling stake in BKT.
BKT is currently 30% owned by Belarus fertilizer producer Belaruskali, 65% by Udovitsky indirectly and another 5% directly.
Earlier Udovitsky applied to the Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania for authorization to buy 30% of BKT shares and get sole control over the company. The agreement is expected to be finalized by the end of this year.
Ukraine's grain exports from the ports of Big Odesa in August reached 1.72 mln t.
