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Main / Activities / Sectors activities / Water transport / About Sector

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Water transport of the Republic of Lithuania

  

Water transport of the Republic of Lithuania is a transport sector comprising the industrial and technologic complex of enterprises, institutions, agencies that operate shipping, port and quays action, management of waterways and other activities related to shipping. 

                                 

Administration of water transport of the Republic of Lithuania

 

Administration of trade shipping, safe shipping, and national inland waterways transport administration is organised by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and implemented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications together with the Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration. 

 

The Government of the Republic of Lithuania pursues the policy of maritime and inland waterways transport and coordinates its implementation.

 

The Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania defines trade and safe shipping requirements, as well as the implementation procedure of water transport, shipping safety requirements regulated by international agreements of the Republic of Lithuania and EU legal acts, and issues obligatory legal acts.     

 

The Water and Railway Transport Department of the Ministry of Transport and Communications is responsible for the implementation of strategy and policy of the maritime state. The Department coordinates water transport activities, projects, and represents Lithuania in international organisations and institutions. These functions are under the responsibility of the Water Transport Division of the Department.

 

The following water transport institutions and enterprises are under the direct subordination of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania:

 

-         Lietuvos saugios laivybos administracija – Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration;

-         VĮ Klaipėdos valstybinio jūrų uosto direkcija – Klaipėda State Seaport Authority, State Enterprise;

-         VĮ Vidaus vandens kelių direkcija – Lithuanian Inland Waterways Authority, State Enterprise;

-         AB „Lietuvos jūrų laivininkystė“ – JSC Lithuanian Shipping Company;

-         AB „Smiltynės perkėla“ – JSC Smiltynė Ferry Terminal.

 

Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration regulates the shipping safety by technical and organisational requirements, monitors the implementation of legislative requirements in shipping enterprises and in ships, performs functions defined by the Maritime Safety Law of the Republic of Lithuania, the Maritime Merchant Shipping Law of the Republic of Lithuania and the Inland Waterways Transport Code of the Republic of Lithuania.

Maritime transport sector

 

Maritime transport includes Lithuanian maritime merchant fleet, Klaipėda State Seaport, Šventoji State Seaport and Būtingė oil terminal of AB „Orlen Lietuva“ (JSC ORLEN Lietuva), as well as enterprises and agencies providing the services of ship agency, freight forwarding, ship supply, towage service and   other services related to cargo transportation and logistics.

                     

Lithuanian maritime merchant fleet consists of the following shipping companies: AB „Lietuvos jūrų laivininkystė“ (JSC Lithuanian Shipping Company) – 11 vessels, AB „Limarko laivininkystė“ (JSC Limarko Shipping Company) – 16 vessels, AB “DFDS LISCO“ – 8 ferries. Apart from these main shipping companies there are ship owners operating one or several maritime vessels. In 2010, in Klaipėda operated: 51 ship agency, 83 cargo forwarding, 45 ship supply, 4 towage service and other services providing companies.  

 

 

Klaipėda State Seaport

 

Klaipėda State Seaport is an ice-free port with well developed transport links (railway, road, air transport, inland waterways) with inland towns and neighbouring countries. It is a universal, deep-water port with a capacity of accepting ships up to 315 m length and 13.0 m draught. The Seaport operates approximately 30 km long quays and 95 km long railways. 30 specialised cargo terminals operate at the Seaport (2 for oil products, 2 for liquid fertilisers, 3 for other liquid cargo, 3 for bulk fertilisers, 2 for agricultural products, 3 for other bulk cargo, 2 for containers, 2 for ro-ro cargo, 4 for refrigerated cargos, 3 for timber, 2 for other general cargo).

 

The Seaport has about 1.0 million square meters of open storage sites, about 750 thousand cubic meters of reservoirs for liquid cargo, about 120 thousand square meters of covered warehouses, about 70 thousand square meters of warehouses for bulk cargo, about 50 thousand of warehouses for refrigerated cargo. Capacities of the Seaport enable the handling of 50 million tons cargo. 

 

In the year 2010 the Seaport actually had 15 stevedoring companies handling cargo, and the total amount of 31.27 million tons of cargo was handled. The largest amount of cargo was handled by AB „Klaipėdos jūrų krovinių kompanija“ (Klaipėda Stevedoring Company KLASCO) – 10.05 million tons, AB „Klaipėdos nafta“ –  7.8 million tons, UAB KJKK „Bega“ (Klaipėda Stevedoring Company BEGA) 3.74 million tons, UAB „Klaipėdos konteinerių terminalas“ (Klaipėda Container Terminal) 2.57 million tons, LKAB „Klaipėdos Smeltė“ (Container Terminal Klaipėdos Smeltė) – 2.38 million tons, UAB „Birių krovinių terminalas“ (Bulk Cargoes Terminal) – 2.29 million tons, UAB „Krovinių terminalas“ (Private limited Liability Company Cargo Terminal) 0.91 million tons. Apart from the stevedoring activities, ships are being built and repaired in the Seaport. The company „Vakarų laivų remontas“ (Western Shiprepair) is one of the largest companies on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The group joins together over 23 enterprises of different purposes. In the year 2010 the former company „Baltijos laivų statykla“ (“Baltija” Shipbuilding Yard) was integrated into the Western Shipyard company group. Ships are repaired also by AB „Klaipėdos laivų remontas“ (Klaipėda Ship Repair). Three passenger shipping lines operate from Klaipėda State Seaport to German and Swedish ports and 9 container lines.

 

Management of the Seaport

 

Klaipėda State Seaport is the property of the Republic of Lithuania. The land, water and infrastructure of the territory can not be privatised.

 

By the right of trust the territory land, water and port infrastructure is managed, disposed and used by the    State Enterprise Klaipėda State Seaport Authority. The main objective of the Seaport Authority consists in constant development of the port, enhancement of its competitiveness and enlargement of volumes of cargo stevedoring. The Seaport Authority leases its land, levies port land fee and port charges. In 2010 the Seaport Authority collected duties of 150.4 million LTL. These resources are allocated to the operation and development. Enterprises, agencies and organisations situated on the port territory operate independently according to the activity regulation laws; however they need to follow the requirements of the Law on Klaipėda State Seaport of the Republic of Lithuania and Regulations of State Enterprise Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.    

                       

Port development

 

The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the State Enterprise Klaipėda State Seaport Authority pay particular attention to the port development. Within the period from 1994 to the end of 2010 the Seaport Authority invested 1.5 billion LTL into the port infrastructure, of which 850 million LTL to the construction and reconstruction of quays, 300 million LTL to the deepening of port water area, 135 million LTL to railway construction and reconstruction. The outer entrance channel of the Seaport has been deepened to the depth of 15 metres, the shipping channel – to 10 metres, queues – to 14.5 meters, the remaining section of the shipping channel leading to the International Ferry Terminal – to 13 meters. The seaport has become a deep seaport. At present the following infrastructure development projects are under the implementation:                          

 

-         Construction of the quays No. 90-96;

-         Reconstruction of the quays No. 66-67;

-         Reconstruction of the quay Nr. 68;

-         Deepening and widening of Klaipėda Seaport shipping channel. It is planned to dredge about 4.5 million cubic meters of soil;

-         Construction of the queue No. 143a and reinforcement of waterfront at the bay Malkų įlanka;

-         Construction and reconstruction of port railway;

-         Adjustment of approach roads to multimodal cargo terminal at the southern part of the port and other projects.

 

A feasibility study and the evaluation of environment impact has been started regarding the Klaipėda Seaport development by construction of outer deep-water port. The studies are performed by “Inros Lackner” AG, UAB “Ernst & Young Baltic” and SIA Estonian, Latvian & Lithuanian Environment. Also a study regarding the establishment of Klaipėda public logistics centre is performed by UAB “Ernst & Young Baltic“.

 

Šventoji State Seaport

 

In 2004 the Government of the Republic of Lithuania established the Šventoji State Seaport and in 2009 allocated to it a 15.33 ha site of the State-owned land and 209.6 ha of outer water area. In 2006 the Law on Šventoji Seaport was adopted. The Government assigned the State Enterprise Klaipėda State Seaport Authority to perform the functions of the Šventoji State Seaport Authority. In 2010 this was approved by the amendment of the Law on Šventoji Seaport.

 

During the latter years the following works were accomplished or started: 

 

-         Section Cultural Heritage of the Environment impact evaluation study regarding the rehabilitation of the Šventoji State Seaport was completed;

-         Environment impact evaluation of the Šventoji Seaport rehabilitation was started;

-         Feasibility study for Port rehabilitation has been concluded – the performance of this study received the financial aid of Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade;

-         Drafting of the detailed plan of the port has been started;

-         Engineering geologic cartography works of the port territory have been started;

-         Digital topographic survey of the port is in progress.

 

In 2010 Minister of Transport and Communications approved the new plan of implementation of the new programme of the Šventoji State Seaport construction, according to which by June 2011 the Port Authority is delegated to adjust the port for handling small size ships. For this reason engineering networks will be installed and floating quays will be constructed, as well as the port water area will be cleaned.

 

Inland waterways transport

 

Inland waterways transport consists of Lithuanian inland waterways ship fleet, inland waterways, ports and quays of inland waterways.

 

Inland waterways shipping is operated by the following shipping companies: AB „Smiltynės perkėla“ (JSC Smiltynė Ferry Terminal) – 5 ferries, VĮ Vidaus vandens kelių direkcija (State Enterprise Inland Waterways Authority) towboats – 20 units, self-propelled barge – 1, dredgers – 2 units, excavator – 1, floating crane – 1, divers’ station – 1 unit, dumb barges – 12.

 

Inland waterways: Lithuania has 902.3 km of inland waterways. By the Decision No. 1119 of 14 August 1995 (amendments No. 458 of 20 April 2001, and No. 1379 of 30 December 2008) the Government of the Republic of Lithuania conceded to the 827.8 km section of inland waterways the status of national importance; and by the Minister’s Order No. 18 of 20 January 1998 (amendments No. 3-728 of 30 December 2003, and No. 3-597 of 25 November 2009) the Ministry of Transport and Communications conceded the status of local importance waterways to the 68 km section of inland waterways. At present 476.7 km of inland waterways are in operation serving for the transportation of passengers and goods.      

 

The fairway of all operated inland waters of national importance status is marked by navigation signs. In the water area of Kaunas Sea the waterway section from Kaunas hydro electric power station to Rumšiškės (16 km) is marked by illuminated navigation signs. Also by illuminated navigation signs is marked the fairway on the section of the Nemunas River from Smalininkai to Klaipėda (187 km).

 

The 278.3 km inland waterways section of the Nemunas River from Kaunas to the mouth of the River Atmata and the section going via the Curonian Bay from the throat of the River Atmata to Klaipėda, by the Resolution of the Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was included into the most important European inland waterways network and attributed to the international importance route E 41. And by the international route E 70 via the Kaliningrad District of the Russian Federation it is possible to reach the inland waterways system of the Western Europe.

 

The VĮ Vidaus vandens kelių direkcija – State Enterprise Inland Waterways Authority – is appointed to be the administrator of the inland waterways of the Republic of Lithuania. The Authority supervises and maintains inland waterways during the navigation period, secures their safeguard depth. On the section of the Nemunas River from Kaunas to Jurbarkas the safeguard depth is 1.20 m, width 35 m. On the section from Jurbarkas to the mouth of the River Atmata the safeguard depth is 1.50 m, width 40 m. On Curonian Bay waterways the safeguard depth – 2.00 m, width 50 m.   

                     

The Waterways maintenance and infrastructure development programme of the enterprise each year receives the sum of 6-10 million LTL of allocations from the State budget.  

 

Apart from the ships belonging to the inland waterways fleet the inland waterways are also used by small size ships and entertainment ships. 

 

At the end of the year 2010 the inland waterways register of the Republic of Lithuania contained 63951 registered floating transport means using inland waterways, 63006 of which – entertainment ships, small size boats and individual boats, also 672 yachts, 273 fishing vessels, floating equipment and other floating means. The register contains 3314 registered suspended motors of water transport means.  

                       

  

Shipping Control

 

Shipping control in the inland waterways of the Republic of Lithuania is performed by the State Enterprise Lietuvos saugios laivybos administracija – Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration (hereinafter – Administration). Main objectives of the Administration consist in the control of the conformity to international legal acts, and those of the EU, and the laws of the Republic of Lithuania, as well as other requirements defined by maritime safety legal acts regarding shipping enterprises, ships and ports.     

The Administration performs the regulating functions of the Register of Seagoing Ships of the Republic of Lithuania, the Register of Inland Waterways Vessels of the Republic of Lithuania and the Register of Lithuanian seafarers.

 

By administrating all the authorised functions the Administration pursues the objective that ships flying Lithuanian flag should follow the international requirements for maritime safety and prevention of pollution from ships. Herewith efforts are made to provide by the means of national legislation to Lithuanian enterprises, seafarers and other actors of shipping trade the adequate conditions for enhancement of their competitive abilities.   

   

From 1 July 2010 the State Inland Waterways Navigation Inspectorate was incorporated into the Administration. Therefore since then the Administration performs the functions defined by the Code of Transport of Inland Waters of the Republic of Lithuania initially assigned to the Inspectorate.

 

In the end of the year 2011 the Register of Seagoing Ships of the Republic of Lithuania included 121 registered ships by the general tonnage of 439341, of which: 33 cargo ships, 7 ro-ro passenger ferries, 13 transport refrigerators, 48 fishing vessels, 13 towboats, 7 vessels of special purpose.

 

 

© 2011 Ministry of Transport and Communications, state budgetary institution.
Data is recorded and stored by the Register of Legal Entities.