Latvian Maritime academy

affected by competing ports [2]. Nevertheless, transit cargo in the ports of Klaipeda and Ventspilsincrease cargo volume and improve economies of the countries [16].Comparing the ports of Ventspils and Klaipeda, the following factors were taken into account:geographical location of ports, destination, and the area of liquid cargo storage capacity, quay length anddepth, liquid cargo handling companies, the railway distances. The ports of Klaipeda and Ventspils areice free deepwater seaports on the Eastern Baltic Sea coast. This is the premise of competition betweenthe two ports in flows of liquid cargo. Comparing the Klaipeda and Ventspils ports, it is suggested, thatthe Klaipeda port area is 80% larger than the Ventspils port area. Having a larger area the port of Venspilscould handle more cargo than the Klaipeda port (Table 1).Table 1. Similarities and differences of Klaipeda and Ventspils port specification [10, 19]No. Specification Klaipeda State Port Ventspils Free Port1. Purpose Transit2. Geographical location Icefree deepwater seaports3. Area (ha) 498 2,4514. Liquid cargo tank capacity (m 3 ) 482,500 1,500,0005. Liquid cargo terminal quay length (m) 2,908 31166. Quay depth (m) 14.5 17.57. Liquid cargo handling companies 9 98. Railway distance toMinsk (km) 450 600Liquid cargo tanks capacity, terminal quay length and depth are indicators of handling equipment,transport infrastructure and quality [12]. There is a big difference between volume of liquid cargo tanks inthe Klaipeda and Ventspils ports, e.g. in the port of Venspils there are tanks more than 3 times larger thanin the port of Klaipeda [9]. The length of liquid cargo handling quays in both porta are approximatelysimilar: in the Venspils port - 3,116 m, in Klaipeda - 2,908 m. The depth of liquid cargo berth in theKlaipeda port is up to 14.5 metres, and the depth of berth in the Ventspils port is from 11.5 to 17.5metres. The depth of quay in the Klaipeda port is less than in the Ventspils port but in order to increasethe depth of the existing quay of the port the additional investment would be the only solution since depthof individual quay is not possible, and in order to deepen the harbour waterfront, it must be reconstructed.Stevedoring companies plays a key role in handling process as they carry out cargo handling operationsand attract port shipping lines, so stevedoring companies in the port are the main port elements [4]. Theports of Klaipeda and Ventspils have the same number of companies - 9, which carry out handling ofliquid cargo. The handling technology of these companies is different, equipment and cargo traffic differs.The form of cargo-handling equipment employed is basically determinated by the nature of the actualcargo, the type of packing used and the environment in which it operates such as modern computercontrolledwarehouse [2].In summary, parameters of the port of Ventspils, significant liquid cargo handling, are morefavourable than those parameters of cargo handling of the port of Klaipeda. However, the analysis of thetotal turnover (Figure 1) shows, that the turnover of the port of Venspils from 2008-2012, is declining incomparison with the port of Klaipeda.Figure 1. Klaipeda port (with Butinge terminal) and Ventspils port cargo turnover 2008-2012 [10, 19]37