HHLA Intermodal companies increase container transport by 21.1 % to 0.883 mln TEU in Jan-Sept 2013
The remaining transport companies of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) significantly increased their container transport by 21.1 % to 883 thousand standard containers (TEU) in the first nine months of the 2013 financial year, the company said in its press release. 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 € 121.4 million. By contrast, Group revenue grew by 2.5 % to € 868.0 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. In this way, we are not only gaining market share in the transport business, but are also bundling cargo flows for our container terminals. And it is not least because of this that we have been able to increase our container throughput in the last nine months despite the general market trend. Given the infrastructural restrictions that we and our customers continue to face, this is not something which can be taken for granted. Since the number of ever-bigger vessels grows, the delay in dredging the river Elbe – already long outstanding – poses us considerable challenges,” said Klaus-Dieter Peters, Chairman of the HHLA Executive Board.
Intermodal Network Expanded Considerably
HHLA successfully expanded its Intermodal network in the European hinterland in the first nine months of 2013 (1). The rail operator Metrans extended its services in Germany and Austria. Since October, Metrans has been operating three weekly services between the German sea ports and Basel. This means that Metrans now offers transport services with Switzerland for the first time. The HHLA rail company Polzug expanded its network to include new connections to Poland’s sea ports. The resulting growth at Metrans and Polzug was only slightly hampered by a temporary fall in volumes during the flooding in May and June. The newly opened hub terminals in Ceska Trebova (2013) and Poznan (2011) registered a marked increase in throughput. The strategy of enhancing value added and the vertical range of production using own equipment has thereby proved successful.
Container Throughput Grows in Contrast to the Market Trend
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 in large part to the year-on-year decline in the operating result (EBIT).
