Yilport outlines growth ambitions

The global port and terminal operator said it will continue its organic growth in the next three years and that it is currently engaged in negotiations to acquire ports and container terminals in Europe, Latin America and North America.    Turkey’s Yilport Holding has ambitions to grow into one of the 10 largest international container terminal operators by 2025, according to a statement issued Tuesday by Robert Yuksel Yildririm, the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Yildirim Group, which also has interests in the metals, mining, fertilizer and chemical industries.
   The company said that last year, it handled 4.3 million TEUs, 9.5 percent more than in 2016, and ranked as the 13th largest in Drewry’s Global Container Terminal Operators Annual Review and Forecast 2017 report. The company said its terminals have an annual handling capacity of over 10 million TEUs.
   In 2017, Yilport also handled 9.5 million tons of general cargo, 364,100 “car equivalent units” as part of its roll-on/roll-off operations, and 3.67 million cubic meters of liquid cargo volumes.
   Yilport also owns a 50 percent stake in Malta Freeport (MFTL). Its partner in Malta is Terminal Link, a joint venture between CMA CGM and China Merchants Holdings (International) Ltd.
   “We are currently engaged in negotiations to acquire several small and medium sized ports and container terminals in Europe, Latin America and North America,” the company said. “Yilport will continue its organic growth in the next three years in addition to port acquisitions. We are looking forward to grow our existing business volume on a double-digit average each year. We will expand some of our terminals and more than double their annual handling capacities from 2018.”
   The company said major investments at the Yilport Gebze and Yilport Gemlik terminals in Turkey are almost finished, giving those terminals capacity to handle 1 million TEUs and 2 million TEUs, respectively.
   Earlier this month Yilport said it has budgeted for handling 4.73 million TEUs in 2018. General cargo operations in Yilport’s portfolio are expected to reach 12.1 million tons, growing by 28 percent.
   In addition, 417,000 car equivalent units are budgeted for 2018.
   Meanwhile, liquid cargo handling is expected to contract by 4 percent to 3.53 million cubic meters.
   Looking ahead, Yilport has various plans in the coming year.
   In Puerto Bolívar, Ecuador, Yilport plans to begin deepening the channel in the next month and building a sixth berth later this year. With additional cranes, a new refrigerated warehouse and other equipment, capacity will be increased to 1 million TEUs.
   At the Port of Gävle in Sweden, Yilport plans to double Gävle Container Terminal’s capacity from 300,000 TEUs to 600,000 TEUs.
   Over in Portugal, at the Leixões Container Terminal, Yilport plans to invest 42 million euros (U.S. $51.9 million) in order to increase its annual container capacity to up to 1 million TEUs, while in Lisbon, it plans to spend 200 million euros to deepen channels and rebuild the Liscont Container Terminal.