Contship Italia Group releases new business plan targets 2021-2024

Contship Italia Group releases new business plan targets 2021-2024 Contship Italia Group, the Italian container terminal and intermodal branch of Eurokai, today unveils a raft of new initiatives aimed at enhancing its national and international developments.   In a wide ranging set of new targets and initiatives, the group will start work on achieving : • More than 1.8 million TEU new handling capacity, including gateway and transshipment capabilities, which are expected to be offered to global carriers by the end of 2024. • Intermodal transport projected to reach 50% maritime and 50% continental/intra-EU trade by end-2023.   Strengthened Container Terminal capabilities In announcing the plans, Contship reaffirmed its strong and strategic commitment to Italy with substantial investments planned at La Spezia Container Terminal (LSCT), the company’s main container terminal in the country. The development project will start at the Ravano terminal to realize a new 524-metre length quay equipped with five STS cranes 25 rows across. The first phase of LSCT aims to add 300,000 TEUs to the current handling capacity and increase the share of rail transport from the current 32% to 40% of the modal split. Short-term goals include the improvement of LSCT’s capability to welcome ULCC with higher tonnage with the support of the new draft available in Fornelli East (-15 m) and Fornelli West (-14 m), the latest to be officially completed by the Port Authority in December 2020. This improvement will immediately support LSCT’s customers with an average additional vessel capacity of 300/400 TEU per call. The partners of TCR – Terminal Container Ravenna – SAPIR and LSCT, are currently discussing future investments to further develop the container terminal. Some 15 years after the announcement of the concession agreement for Eurogate Tanger (TC2), the new Tanger Alliance terminal (TC3) in Tanger Med 2 will start its commercial operations in January 2021, deploying eight STS latest generation cranes (24 rows/54 m under spreader) on 800-metre quay and 36 hectares yards. Once completed, the terminal handling capacity will be 1.5 million TEU. The success of both investments in Tangier rely on Contship’s strong collaborations with international shipping lines such as CMA-CGM/Terminal Link in TC2 and Hapag LLoyd at the new TC3 facility where Marsa Maroc is the majority shareholder. Eurokai holds 40% of share via Contship/Eurogate and Hapag Lloyd holds 10%. New projects in the Mediterranean region are under development.   Intermodal Services Sogemar, the intermodal-logistics and customs arm of the Group is adapting its offering to the new trades and logistics challenges. Reshoring programs and supply/demand evolutions in the maritime business are changing rapidly and Sogemar is adapting its new strategy by consolidating its leadership position on the maritime intermodal activities and expanding its continental rail offering. Sogemar will collaborate with its sister company Eurogate Intermodal to build and promote European network services. Rail Hub Milano (Melzo), the most advanced private Intermodal hub in Italy, in 2019 already achieved the target of 50% handling operations with continental traffic (swap bodies, 45 feet intermodal units and semitrailers) and established itself as the first reliable Italian rail platform for China’s new Belt-Road Initiative. Hannibal, the Group’s MTO, with over 60 trains/week connecting Genoa, La Spezia and Ravenna with Melzo, Dinazzano and Padua, will continue to support the expected modal shift in the Italian port activities, expanding further to landlocked markets such as Switzerland, Southern Germany, and Austria. Rail Hub Milano, Hannibal and the rail traction services provided by Oceanogate Italia represent a unique integrated and independent offer to the market, supporting customers in their value proposition enhancement with sustainable transport solutions. Benefitting from the improved Gotthard tunnel capacity and specific new investments in national and in international inland rail hubs, Hannibal will continue to expand its offering to Rotterdam and the UK for continental flows by adding new corridors in 2021 and 2022. Additional ambitious projects related to the development of digital platforms will also be announced in 2021.   “These developments will be achieved jointly with the support of Eurokai Hamburg, the controlling owner – commented Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello – who sees Contship Italia as its flagship operator in both Italy and in the Mediterranean region”.