Draft (20 01 2003)

 

 

 

At the European Transport Conference held in Greece in 1994, the transport corridor IX with its branch IXB Klaipėda - Kaunas - Vilnius - Minsk - Kiev was acknowledged as of priority significance in the East European and Central European transport network. It was approved as a priority corridor in analogous Helsinki Conference in 1997. The profound influence upon the development of the corridor IXB is exerted by the activities of Klaipėda port.

 

Though detailed concept of the strategic plan has not yet been developed, Klaipėda port, however, is being systematically developed. The Government of the Republic of Lithuania by its Resolution No. 298 of 28 April 1992 approved the strategic program for reconstruction and development of the transport system of the Republic of Lithuania (principal provisions), which includes  the main developments of the port. After receipt of support under the EU PHARE program, in 1992-1993 the Klaipėda State Seaport development concept and The Master plan were drawn up and approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. The Government of the Republic of Lithuania by its Resolution No. 494 of 20 June 1994 approved the program for the construction and reconstruction of Klaipėda State Seaport infrastructure objects for the period of 1994-2000 and by the Resolution No 1526 of 01-10-2002 they approved the investment program of Klaipeda State Seaport for 2002-2005. In the course of carrying out the said programs, a number of ideas and offers of the Master plan have been implemented or are being implemented; therefore it is necessary to update the Master plan of the port following the strategic planning concept for the port.

 

Transportation of transit cargo between East and West has the fundamental significance for the development of Klaipėda port. Intensive competitive struggle for the transit cargo flows among the ports on the East Baltic coast is going on. Recently, this competition has been increased by the Russian transport policy whose main purpose is to redirect Russian cargo flows from the ports of adjacent countries to the Russian ports. As a result of such Russian policy, ports of the Baltic Sates have sharpened their competition for transit cargo flows. The ports best prepared to satisfy market demand will be the winners in this competitive struggle.

 

Contemporary science and practice define a modern port not only as a place for cargo reloading, but also as an actor in very dynamic logistic processes, “third generation” port: having passed its first development stage, when a port was a place for reloading of cargoes, and the second stage, when it was a transport, industry and commercial services centre, nowadays, the port has turned into an integrated transport centre and logistic platform for international trade. Taking into consideration the mentioned trends, we develop

 

 

 

Having the above vision in mind, SWOT analysis (advantages, disadvantages, potentials and dangers) of Klaipėda port is being performed, the port development priorities and actions to realize such priorities are set forth.

 

 

 

 

 

·                          good geographic location (Klaipeda port – is one of the Eastern Baltic ports situated at the shortest distance to entrance of the Baltic Sea);

·                          favourable hydro-meteorological conditions (Klaipeda port – is one southernmost located ports on the Eastern Baltic coast, hence lower probability of snowstorms and cold weather, which facilitates communications by sea, road and railways);

·                          well-developed motorway network in Lithuania;

·                          the port facilities allow to make efficient stevedoring operations of traditional cargo flows;

·                          large number of forwarding and shipping agent companies operating at the port, which make influence on attraction of cargo flows and ships to the Klaipėda port;

·                          consolidated metal and fertilizer market.

 

·                     -in comparison with other ports of the Baltic Sea, maximum depths of the Baltic Sea ports are easily reached, it provides the possibility to have part of the port with deepwater quays;

·                    -vast market in the East makes prerequisites for increase of transit cargo flows;

·                    -EU policy aiming at redistribution of cargo flows among different means of transport (reduction the share of road transport, increase of short sea shipping;

·                    -recognition of the corridor IXB as the Trans-European corridor by conferring status TEN-Tr to it;

·                    -attraction of investments of cargo owners and carriers;

·                    -Klaipėda with its companies and training institutions is able to provide the port with high quality specialists;

·                    the port information system, which is currently being installed, may become an advantage against other ports that have not got such a system;

 

 

 

 

·   Modernization of infrastructure

·   Deepwater port feasibility study

·   Conditions for value added making

·   Overall port information system

 

·        Ensuring of the navigation safety

·        Implementation of environmental requirements

·        Organization of port protection