Two major shipping companies takeover terminal company at the Port of Gothenburg

Göteborgs Hamn AB and has signed a 25-year concession agreement with DFDS A/S and C.PORTS S.A, who will run the Ro-Ro Terminal through a joint company.

"It feels extremely positive that two of the port's largest customers have joined forces to run the Ro-Ro Terminal," says Sven Hulterström, Chairman of Port of Gothenburg AB. It will also open up opportunities for the employees. The companies are both highly respected market leaders in the short sea ro-ro sector and have the resources to develop further the business. The Port of Gothenburg will have a secure, long-term revenue flow and can reinforce its role as a leading transport hub.

The background to the deal is the division of the port company in February 2010 into a municipal Port Authority and three separate terminall operating companies. Quays and infrastructure will remain, as before, under municipal ownership with the agreement covering the cargo handling operation of the Ro-Ro Terminal.

 "We had interest from several large international companies in the port and shipping sector during a competitive bidding process, and in the end the clear winner was DFDS and C.PORTS S.A. (a sister company to Cobelfret S.A.)," says Magnus Kårestedt, Port of Gothenburg chief executive. "They share our visions with regard to the port, they have sector knowledge which is second to none and they have a long-term strategy. This was a key requirement for agreeing this long term deal."

This is the first time that DFDS and C.PORTS S.A. will collaborate in owning and operating a ro-ro terminal. The terminal will be run via a newly formed company. The agreement with the Port of Gothenburg will extend over 25 years and will come into effect in January 2011.

"The Port of Gothenburg is an important port for us," states Niels Smedegaard, CEO of DFDS.  We have a large traffic volumes  in both the Baltic and the North Sea and it is extremely important for us that we are involved in developing and improving our service to Swedish industry and our large number of customers in Sweden and Europe. It is therefore strategically important to reinforce our presence in Gothenburg."

" We look forward to developing and enhancing the roro traffic in Gothenburg along with all the employees of the terminal,” says Christer Älveborn, Managing Director  Sweden, on behalf of C.PORTS S.A.

When the concession agreement comes into effect, DFDS and C.Ports will take over the terminal company, the 320 employees and all customer contracts. The Ro-Ro Terminal is the first of three terminal companies to have a new operator. Operations at the Container Terminal and the Car Terminal will be transferred next year.

For further information, please contact:

DFDS: Gert Jakobsen, Vice President Communications, +45 33 423 297

C. Ports/Cobelfret: Christer Älveborn, Managing Director Sweden, +46 708 763 546

Port of Gothenburg: Magnus Kårestedt, CEO and President: +46 705 662 513

Port of Gothenburg: Cecilia Carlsson, Senior Manager Communications, +46 31-731 22 45

Background
In November 2009, the City Council in Gothenburg decided that the running of the port's roro, car and container terminals would be transferred to external operators. The Ro-Ro Terminal is the first to sign an agreement with a new operator. The new arrangement means that the City-owned Port Authority can focus exclusively on developing the port, the infrastructure and marketing whilst the terminal companies utilise their expertise to operate and develop the terminals efficiently and effectively. This brings the Port of Gothenburg into line with the tried and tested port structure seen elsewhere in North Europe and worldwide.

Fact file: Port of Gothenburg
The Port of Gotherburg is Scandinavia´s largest port and has an excellent geographical position for reaching all parts of Scandinavia and the Baltic. With its position and situation, Gothenburg has won the “Swedens best logistic position” award nine years in a row.

70 per cent of Nordic industry and population is within a distance of 500 kilometres. 25 per cent of Sweden’s foreign trade and two of three containers in the country goes via us; we are the only port in Sweden that can admit the world’s largest container ships, while at the same time we offer destinations and a range of routes that no other Nordic port comes anywhere near.

The 26 rail shuttles allow companies throughout Sweden and Norway to maintain a direct link to the biggest port in the Nordic region.

Fact file: DFDS
DFDS is Northern Europe’s leading sea-based transport network with an annual turnover of DKK 10 billion. The company  has 6,000 employees and employs a fleet of around 63 roro-ships, passenger ships and container ships ships as well as operating 11 port terminals and significant logistics actvities throughout Europe.  DFDS was founded in 1866 and is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen. DFDS is headquartered in Copenhagen.

Fact file: Cobelfret S.A.
Cobelfret S.A. is a subsidiary of Compagnie Luxembourgeoise d’Affrètement (CLdN). CLdN is an ntegrated freight shipping and ports group with associated land logistics activities. It operates 8 ro-ro terminals in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Cobelfret S.A. has been operating into Gothenburg since 1999.