PRESS RELEASE
Expansive business development with stable result
Bremen, 6 April 2017 +++ The EUROGATE Group today presented its results for the
2016 financial year. These show that the group of companies increased its operating
result (EBIT) by 11.6 per cent to EUR 101.6 million (2015: EUR 91.1 million) and net
profit for the year by 3.3 per cent to EUR 75.9 million (2015: EUR 73.5 million). 2016
was a turbulent year for container shipping, and one that brought a few surprises and
changes. A number of shipping company mergers and the insolvency of the Korean
carrier Hanjin Shipping led to a realignment within the major alliances. Against this
background, EUROGATE successfully demonstrated its ability to operate profitably
even in a difficult market environment. Capital expenditure in 2016 came to EUR 19.0
million, which was 8.1 per cent higher than in the previous year (EUR 17.6 million).
Michael Blach, Chairman of the EUROGATE Group Management Board: “Container shipping
is currently going through a phase of transition. Last year saw the start of an unprecedented
wave of consolidation among the shipping lines. In the future, the main East-West trade
lanes, which are so important to us, will be dominated by the three major alliances 2M,
OCEAN Alliance and THE Alliance. For EUROGATE this represents a great opportunity,
because with our North Sea terminals in Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven we
offer the alliances a wide range of capabilities for clearing their vessels – including the world’s
biggest megaliners of the future with transport capacities in excess of 20,000 TEUs. In recent
years, EUROGATE has time and again proved its mettle in an intensive competitive
environment. To ensure that this remains so, we are aiming to continually improve our
performance. We want to innovate and are focusing closely on the driving forces of
technology and digitalisation. This also includes the introduction of automation processes. As
the public is aware, we are currently planning a pilot project for the automation of straddle
carriers at our Wilhelmshaven location. Further decisions on this have yet to be taken.”
Press release “Annual press conference 2017” – 06.04.2017
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PRESS RELEASE
Infrastructure development: the shipping companies decide
Such projects target the future viability of our container terminals in a changing industry
environment. In March 2017, the first ultra-large container ship >20,000 TEUs, the “MOL
Triumph” with a transport capacity of 20,170 TEUs, was delivered. Others are set to follow
and be put into service on the Far East-North Europe transport routes. Container terminal
operators must prepare for this and be ready to offer shipping companies productive and
efficient handling services if they are to remain competitive. The decisive factors in this are
not only a modern superstructure, but also a well-developed infrastructure. Regrettably, there
is still no progress in the matter of the two so urgently needed fairway adjustments. To date,
no definitive schedule has been drawn up for the extension of the Outer Weser and the
deepening of the River Elbe is not likely to be completed before 2020 at the earliest. Other
major infrastructure projects such as construction of the A20 motorway and the upgrading of
the Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal) will take several more years to complete. All this sends
out negative signals internationally and is a competitive disadvantage for Germany as a
maritime location. Ultimately it’s the shipping companies that decide which ports are attractive
for them and which ports they include in their transport routes. With a network now
numbering 12 locations, EUROGATE is able to offer an outstanding range of services at its
container terminals.
EUROGATE in Germany
One positive piece of news was the decision of the newly established Ocean Alliance to
include EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven, Germany’s only deep-water port, in
its network. This means two major alliances representing eight shipping lines now offer
services for Wilhelmshaven (2M: Maersk Line with Hamburg Süd, MSC, Hyundai Merchants
Marine; Ocean Alliance: CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping, Evergreen and OOCL). EUROGATE
expects this to give the location a further boost, coupled with a wider range of transport and
logistics services. In 2016, the container terminal again recorded a positive development with
growth in handling volume of 12.9 per cent to 481,720 TEUs (previous year: 426,751 TEUs).
Press release “Annual press conference 2017” – 06.04.2017
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PRESS RELEASE
In Bremerhaven and Hamburg container handling volumes stagnated. After a promising start
in the first six months of 2016, market events had an impact in the second half-year.
Bremerhaven handled a total of 5,487,198 TEUs (2015: 5,521,199 TEUs), while EUROGATE
Container Terminal Hamburg handled 2,265,439 TEUs (2015: 2,285,993 TEUs).
EUROGATE International
The development at EUROGATE’s CONTSHIP ITALIA holding was very encouraging. The
Italian terminals increased their container throughput by 4.6 per cent to 5,012,216 TEUs.
Particularly worth mentioning is the growth at Medcenter Container Terminal in Gioia Tauro,
Calabria. After a number of difficult years, the terminal’s handling figures were again up to
2,749,074 TEUs, almost 10 per cent higher than in 2015 (2,505,393 TEUs). The CONTSHIP
subsidiary Sogemar is planning to build a new container railway here with an investment
volume of EUR 40 million. CONTSHIP ITALIA’s strategy is to establish better and faster
connections between the southern ports and central Europe by extending its rail freight
services in the South-North corridor.
The EUROGATE Group now with 12 locations
EUROGATE is continuing to pursue its expansive network strategy. Since 29 January 2017,
the international group has had a new member: EUROGATE Container Terminal Limassol,
Cyprus. The Cypriot container terminal ideally complements the network in the
Mediterranean. With Tangier (Morocco) to the west, Gioia Tauro and Cagliari (Italy) in the
centre and Limassol to the east, the EUROGATE Group can now offer container shipments
throughout the entire Mediterranean region. EUROGATE Container Terminal Limassol has
an annual handling capacity of 500,000 TEUs.
Intermodal transport
In Germany, volumes transported by rail stagnated at 560,305 TEUs, analogously to the
volumes handled by the seaports (2015: 556,879 TEUs), whereas truck transports increased
by 11.6 per cent to 84,790 TEUs (2015: 75,988 TEUs). EUROGATE Intermodal (EGIM) is
Press release “Annual press conference 2017” – 06.04.2017
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PRESS RELEASE
continuously extending its transport services offering. Only recently, EGIM announced a new
connection between Munich and Budapest aimed at reinforcing Munich as a hub for
shipments from Southern Germany, Italy and Slovenia to South-East Europe and Istanbul.
The intermodal arm of the CONTSHIP ITALIA Group recorded significant growth in 2016 and
transported 271,418 TEUs, 10 per cent more than in 2015 (246,799 TEUs). The 16.67 per
cent shareholding in Contrail Logística S.A. with headquarters in São Paolo (Brazil) acquired
in October 2015 by the EUROGATE International GmbH subsidiary also showed a positive
development in 2016 with 30,720 TEUs transported, despite the economic crisis in Brazil. At
21,027 TEUs transported, the intermodal transport volume of the Portuguese shareholding in
2016 was 1.5 per cent down on 2015 (21,348 TEUs). Overall, the EUROGATE Group’s
intermodal segment recorded an increase of 6.4 per cent to 968,260 TEUs (2015: 909,595
TEUs).
Outlook for 2017
2017 will be a challenging year for the EUROGATE Group. The container industry will face
many changes. EUROGATE will listen to the markets and closely follow the impacts of
developments in world politics, which with certain protectionist tendencies are causing a
certain amount of consternation throughout the global economy. With its network of 12
locations, the Group is on the whole broadly and soundly positioned to respond to possible
political repercussions on global trade in the maritime competitive environment.
About EUROGATE:
Contact:
EUROGATE is the leading, shipping line independent container terminal
operator Group in Europe. Jointly with the Italian terminal operator
Contship Italia, the company operates a network of eleven container
terminals from the North Sea coast to the Mediterranean area.
Commencing 29 January 2017, the EUROGATE Container Terminal
Limassol, Cyprus, will be added as the 12th location of the network. In
addition to container handling services at seaports, EUROGATE offers
intermodal transport and cargomodal services. EUROGATE was
founded in 1999, and handled 14.6 million TEUs Europe-wide in 2016.
For more information visit www.eurogate.eu.
Corinna Romke
Director Corporate Communications
Phone: +49 421 1425-3803
Fax: +49 421 1425-4984
E-mail: [email protected]
Press release “Annual press conference 2017” – 06.04.2017
EUROGATE GmbH & Co. KGaA, KG
Präsident-Kennedy-Platz 1A
28203 Bremen, Germany
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PRESS RELEASE
Key figures for the EUROGATE Group 2016
2016
2015
Change
in EUR ‘000
in EUR ‘000
in %
Total assets
990,147
969,141
+2.2
Equity
418,830
389,364
+7.6
42.3%
40.2%
Revenue
639,373
591,321
+8.1
EBITDA
153,214
148,122
+3.4
EBIT
101,649
91,072
+11.6
Net profit for the year
75,929
73,530
+3.3
Capital expenditure
19,046
17,624
+8.1
143,196
119,876
+19.5
Employees Germany
4,335
4,347
–0.3
Employees international
7,747
7,739
+0.1
2016
2015
Change
in EUR ‘000
in EUR ‘000
in %
5,487,198
5,521,199
–0.6
481,720
426,751
+12.9
Bremerhaven/Wilhelmshaven
5,968,918
5,947,950
+0.4
Hamburg
2,265,439
2,285,993
–0.9
Germany
8,234,357
8,233,943
0.0
Italy
5,012,218
4,792,208
+4.6
154,959
207,317
–25.3
Morocco (Tangier)
1,126,872
1,230,305
–8.4
Russia (Ust-Luga)
82,203
85,871
–4.3
14,610,609
14,549,644
+0.4
Equity ratio
Cash flow
from ordinary operating activities
Container handling volumes in 2016 at a glance
Bremerhaven
Wilhelmshaven
Portugal (Lisbon)
Total EUROGATE Group
Press release “Annual press conference 2017” – 06.04.2017
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