HHLA PLT Italy starts on schedule
The announced acquisition by Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) of 50.01 percent of the multi-function terminal Piattaforma Logistica Trieste (PLT) in the Italian seaport of Trieste has been completed on 7 January 2021. The handling facility will operate as HHLA PLT Italy and is expected to start extended operations in February, the company said in its release.
Following approval by the Italian Council of Ministers and the fulfilment of additional formal closing conditions, nothing stands in the way of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG’s operation of the HHLA PLT Italy terminal in the Adriatic port of Trieste.
The HHLA PLT Italy terminal facilities are within the Free Port of Trieste and take up a total area of 27 hectares. In the northern section of the facility, mainly general cargo transports are already being handled and logistic services provided. The new heart of the terminal is emerging in the southern section: container and RoRo traffic will be handled in the newly developed area. The site has been prepared as needed, and systemic, technical and staff requirements have been fulfilled. A 35-metre-wide ramp is available for RoRo handling and will process the newest generation of RoRo ships deployed in the Mediterranean. Container throughput will be carried out on the quay side with mobile harbour cranes, and in the storage area with reach stackers. The first mobile harbour crane has already been installed. An identical crane will be delivered in the first quarter of 2021. Four additional eco-efficient reach stackers were ordered for container handling to supplement the existing equipment. They are also expected to be delivered in the first quarter.
The strategically relevant position of the Port of Trieste on the Adriatic allows for excellent growth opportunities in hinterland transport. The multi-purpose terminal has its own rail connection. HHLA rail subsidiary Metrans already connects the Port of Trieste with its European intermodal network.
The Adriatic region has been developing very dynamically in the past few years. As the northernmost port in the Mediterranean, Trieste is the southern gateway to Central and Eastern Europe. With HHLA PLT Italy, HHLA is positioning itself in a growing market that offers good opportunities for development, including the opportunity to actively participate in and help shape new and changing cargo flows.
