HHLA records strong growth in container transport

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG: Container transport in the intermodal segment increased by 21,1%; container throughput up by 5.1%

The remaining transport companies of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) significantly increased their container transport by 21.1 % to 883.000 containers (TEU) in the first nine months of the 2013 financial year. This is primarily due to new connections within Germany, with Austria and with the Polish sea ports.

Throughput volume at HHLA’s container terminals in Hamburg and Odessa also developed positively. Despite a slight overall decline in volumes at competing ports, HHLA increased its container throughput by 5.1 % to 5.7 million TEU. The operating result (EBIT) was not able to follow volume growth due to continuing expenses for expansion and modernisation, which is necessary to handle the rising number of ever-bigger vessels, as well as burdens due to the flooding in early summer. Compared to the previous year’s figure adjusted for one-off gains, EBIT decreased slightly to EUR 121.4 million. By contrast, Group revenue grew by 2.5 % to EUR 868 million.

“The success of our Intermodal companies in a challenging environment is remarkable. The increase in container transport is primarily the result of our D.A.CH. strategy. We are expanding in the attractive markets of Germany (D), Austria (A) and, since October 2013, also in Switzerland (CH). The growth in transport volumes confirms our strategic approach. We are complementing our technological leadership with high levels of productivity in seaborne handling, by means of our own high-performance and cost-effective rail and road hinterland systems. Here we are increasingly focusing on our own rolling stock and inland terminals,” says Klaus-Dieter Peters, Chairman of the HHLA Executive Board.

With throughput growth of 5.1 %, the HHLA container terminals have also further strengthened their market position. At its facilities in Hamburg and Odessa, HHLA achieved container throughput of 5.7 million TEU in the first nine months. The increase in market share resulted primarily from the substantial increase of 10.1 % in feeder traffic to the Baltic states and Russia, as well as the renewed increase of 6.5 % in the handling of containers from and to the Far East. The container terminal in Odessa also increased throughput significantly and gained market share in Ukraine. The higher proportion of total throughput consisting of lower-margin feeder containers made a decisive contribution to the fact that revenue development at segment level remained somewhat behind the growth in volumes. The additional expenses for personnel and equipment incurred by the delayed dredging of the navigation channel of the river Elbe, together with the costs of modernising and expanding the Container Terminal Burchardkai led inlarge part to the year-on-year decline in the operating result (EBIT).

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Quelle: LogEastics
Portal: www.logistik-express.com