Lübeck Port Company Reports Strong First Half of 2021

The Lübeck Port Company (LHG) has more than compensated for the losses caused by COVID-19 in the first half of the year. Compared to the previous year, total throughput increased by nearly 13 percent to around 12 million tons. The traditional revenue driver was the RoRo business. With the exception of forestry products, all other sectors also saw an increase.

(Lübeck) The Lübeck Port Company (LHG) has more than compensated for the losses caused by COVID-19 in the first half of the year. “With an increase of four percent compared to 2019, we have built on our previous successes. This was only possible because the shipping companies kept their systems open during the crisis and were thus able to handle additional volumes without any issues,” said LHG Managing Director Sebastian Jürgens. Compared to the previous year, total throughput increased by nearly 13 percent to around 12 million tons. All activities – with the exception of forestry products – contributed to this positive increase. The positive trend continued in July.

The traditional revenue driver was the RoRo business, in which the LHG was able to further strengthen its leading position among German Baltic Sea ports. The throughput of accompanied trucks increased by twelve percent to around 200,000 units, while the throughput of trailers rose by 19 percent to over 190,000 units. The previously subdued throughput of new vehicles increased by over 50 percent to around 50,000 vehicles. A similarly positive development was recorded at the intermodal terminal of LHG subsidiary Baltic Rail Gate, which is preparing for the increasing demand with a whole bundle of structural and organizational measures.

Hot Phase of Restructuring

In the area of forestry products, the structurally induced decline in volumes continued as expected, reaching a new high of -24 percent compared to the previous year. This brings the LHG into the “hot phase” of the strategic restructuring of its four terminals. The infrastructure of the Scandinavia Quay is being adapted to the increasing demand. The previous leasing at the Nordland Quay has been successful. There are already promising contacts with third parties regarding a joint redesign for the additional areas that will become available in the coming months.

Photo: © LHG/Karl Erhard Vögele