While container throughput of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) declined in the 2015 financial year due to a persistently challenging environment, HHLA’s Intermodal companies saw an operating result that more than doubled.
HHLA operates three terminals at the Port of Hamburg.
As a result of its diversification strategy, HHLA achieved an operating result of more than US$177 million.
Despite a persistently difficult environment, HHLA generated revenue of more than $1.2 billion and an operating result of more than $177 million in the 2015 financial year.
Revenue fell by 4.8% compared to 2014 and the operating result was 7.5% lower, with profit after tax and minority interests increasing significantly by 13.2% to more than $75 million.
HHLA’s Intermodal companies increased the volume of transported containers by 2.7%, to 1.3 million TEU, which followed an already strong previous year.
The growth drivers were HHLA’s rail companies, Metrans and Polzug, which increased container transport by 5.3%.
Klaus-Dieter Peters, Chairman of the Executive Board at HHLA, said: “The results achieved in the 2015 financial year once again confirm our strategy of positioning and further expanding the intermodal segment as a second strong pillar alongside the Container segment.”
HHLA anticipates that container throughput will be on par with the previous year, and that container transport will see an increase in volume in the 2016 financial year.
Klaus-Dieter Peters said: “In order to exploit the opportunities available to us in a targeted manner and to reduce one-sided dependencies and risks, we are using our diversification strategy to focus on several major pillars for the future of the group.
First of all, we will maintain and build upon our market leadership in Hamburg. To achieve this, we will continue with preparing our container terminal for handling particularly large ships, and increase our productivity by further automating and optimising our processes.
“Secondly, we will expand the network of our Intermodal companies by operating new connections and establishing new locations for European port hinterland and continental traffic.
Peters concluded: “We are currently investing in a further hub terminal in Budapest. Our third aim is to achieve accelerated horizontal growth through expanded regional and product strategies. We are going to intensify our search for attractive port projects in growth markets and to systematically exploit the opportunities available.”
