September 2011 saw satisfactory traffic volumes in excess of 3.9mt (million tonnes) for France’s third-ranking port, Dunkirk. Total traffic to the end of September (35.05mt) was up 10% over last year.
Ore cargo figures in September were gloomy, amplifying the drop observed since the beginning of the year (8.28mt, i.e. a shortfall of 9%). Thanks to good export levels, coal was up 22% with a volume of 5.73mt. Grain traffic continued the excellent trend of 2010, posting an increase of 48% over 2010 with a volume of 1.51mt. Traffic in ‘small’ solid bulks (2.22mt) was up 3%. Solid bulks rose 4% overall to 17.74mt.
Hydrocarbons posted a rise of 50% to 4.85mt due to the good performance of refined products which rose 28% to
4.04mt, as well as to crude oil volumes in the early part of the year. Liquid bulks were up 50% overall at 6.06mt. General cargoes were up 3% at 11.24mt.
Ro-ro traffic was down 1% in tonnage at 8.45mt. The number of freight vehicles was 350,000 trucks and trailers (down 4%), while passenger vehicles totalled 709,000 (up 1%) with 2.14 million passengers and drivers (an increase of 4%). Containers posted a good month of September with more than 26,000TEU.
Dunkirk is classified as the seventh port of the North Europe Range which extends from Le Havre to Hamburg. Its western port offers the deepest draughts of the Range for container ships and large ore carriers.