Russia's Global Container Services brings Asian CKD autos to Black Sea

GLOBAL Container Services (GCS), a Russia intermodal logistics provider and container transport operator, has won two new automotive customers for the supply chain services it provides via the port of Novorossiysk.

The company is now carrying CKD auto parts from the Black Sea port to assembly plants in Cherkessk for both the Taiwanese automarket Luxgen (SUV and premium class) and the Chinese brand Brilliance Auto, a company statement said.

"We work with these customers to help them select the best carriers for the seafreight leg from Taiwan and China to ensure on time delivery, sustainable transit times and minimal overall costs, including local charges and extras," said GCS development director Andrey Naraevskiy.

Containers arriving at the NUTEP terminal in Novorossiysk are moved by block train or bonded trucks operated by GCS subsidiary Ruscon to the Derways assembly plant in Cherkessk 470 kilometres away. GCS schedules its trains, carrying 54-56 40ft containers, to meet the production needs of the plants, ensuring a reliable and steady supply of components to the assembly lines.

"Initially, the two customers will need just two or three trains a month, but we know volumes will rise as production at the plants expands to meet demand," said Mr Naraevskiy.

Over the past decade, the port of Novorossiysk has established itself as a gateway for a number of automotive producers supplying assembly parts to plants in Central and Southern Russia.

The NUTEP terminal, operated by a sister company to GCS in the "GC" Delo group, which also owns several terminal assets in the port of Novorossiysk, has been upgraded to enable it to handle two block trains a day.

Other expansion plans include the construction of an additional container berth to handle ships of up to 8,000 TEU, bringing the total capacity at NUTEP to 650,000 TEU by the end of 2016.