Eurogate tops 11 million TEUs at European terminals

Eurogate tops 11 million TEUs at European terminals    The German container operator Eurogate handled 11.5 million TEUs in 2004 at its terminals in Germany, Italy and Portugal, 7.5 percent more than in 2003.
   Its fastest volume growth was in Hamburg, where Eurogate terminals increased box volumes 11 percent to 2.3 million TEUs, from 2 million TEUs in 2003.
   Over the same period, Eurogate’s port throughput in Bremerhaven increased 8 percent to 3.4 million TEUs, from 3.2 million TEUs in 2003. Its Italian container terminals' volume increased 6.5 percent to 5.6 million TEUs from 5.2 million TEUs in 2003. Eurogate’s Liscont terminal in Portugal handled 236,793 TEUs, down from 279,017 TEUs in 2003.
   The Germany-based port group estimates its group revenue amounted to 475 million euros ($615 million) in 2004.
   Eurogate noted that continued increases in capacity are necessary “to keep pace with the inexorable rise in the container industry.”
   “Deepening work on the Weser and Elbe must be carried out as quickly as possible, so that container ships can put into the ports irrespective of tides or laden weight,” the company said. The Weser and Elbe rivers serve the ports of Bremen and Hamburg, respectively.
   Eurogate will submit this year a tender to operate the Jade-Weser port in Wilhelmshaven, in the north of Germany. Invitations for tender have been made.