Copenhagen, 21 October 2010
Announcement no. 39/2010
Gothenburg is an important hub in DFDS' North European route network. Taking
over terminal operations in this location strengthens DFDS' co-operation with
Nordic industrials and transport companies
DFDS A/S has in co-operation with C.Ports S.A. entered into a 25 year agreement
with Port of Gothenburg concerning operation of ro-ro port terminals. C.Ports
S.A. is a part of the Luxembourg based freight shipping and ports group CLdN.
Through a joint company, of which DFDS A/S owns 65% and C.Ports S.A. 35%, the
company Älvsborg Ro/Ro AB is acquired for a price of SEK 48 million. This
company has entered into a 25 year concession agreement concerning the
operation of the ro-ro port terminals Älvsborg and Arendal in Gothenburg. The
acquisition of Älvsborg Ro/Ro AB is expected to be completed in January 2011.
The transaction is subject to approval by the competition authorities.
Älvsborg Ro/Ro AB has 320 employees and revenues for 2010 are expected to be
SEK 450 million of which around 50% concerns DFDS. As part of the company,
cargo carrying and terminal equipment is also taken over.
According to the concession agreement the maintenance of the harbour and quay
infrastructure will continue to be the responsibility of Port of Gothenburg,
while Älvsborg Ro/Ro AB is responsible for maintaining the surface of the
terminal area.
The port terminal has seven ro-ro berths and the total terminal area is 463.000
m2. The three most important shipping customers of the terminal is today DFDS
Seaways, Cobelfret S.A. (a subsidiary of CLdN) and Transatlantic. The latter
two shipping companies provide shipping services to Stora Enso Logistics.
DFDS and CLdN will in the coming years seek to attract new customers from both
the North Sea and the Baltic based on the port terminal's central geographical
location in Northern Europe. The competencies of both parties within port
terminal operations will furthermore be applied to streamline operations to
improve the terminal company's earnings, which today is not satisfactory.
Today, DFDS operates 11 port terminals which support the sea-based transport
network. CLdN operates 8 ro-ro port terminals.
