The growth in container handling at the German North Sea ports is continuing unabated. In 2007, EUROGATE,
Europe's leading container terminal logistics group, increased its container handling Europe-wide by 10.6 per cent. A total of 13.9 million TEUs were handled altogether at nine terminal facilities. The German
terminal locations posted a double-digit growth rate of 12.0 per cent, corresponding to an increase from 7.0 million TEUs in 2006 to 7.8 million TEUs in 2007. Hamburg once again proved to be the most dynamic
location in the network. Recording growth of 14.6 per cent, EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg handled 2.9 million TEUs. The Bremerhaven terminals also posted a two-figure rise. With growth of 10.5 per cent,
they recorded a total handling volume of 4.9 million TEUs. The reasons for this growth are to be found in the growing size of ships and the growth markets of eastern Europe and Russia.
"The excellent development in the volume of container handling has a positive impact on EUROGATE's business and job situation," affirms Emanuel Schiffer, chairman of the EUROGATE group management. "However,
we have to recognise that what currently gratifies us on the one hand, will on the other hand pose challenges for us in the future. The container volumes at Germany's seaports have already exceeded all
expectations. The pace of infrastructure development hardly keeps up with the increase in handling volumes. For too long the forecasts concerning ship sizes and volume development were not taken seriously.
Given these trends, the timely completion of the JadeWeserPort is all the more urgent. We appeal to those who are politically responsible to take the respective decisions as quickly as possible."
The development in the volume of container handling was also extremely positive at the Italian locations of Contship Italia S.p.A., in which EUROGATE holds a 33.4 per cent stake. Container handling volumes in
Italy increased by 8.8 per cent to 5.8 million TEUs.