HHLA takes stake in Italian terminal

HAMBURG, Germany – Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is taking a majority stake of 50.01 percent in the multi-function terminal Piattaforma Logistica Trieste (PLT) in the Italian seaport of Trieste. An agreement was signed on 28 September.

With this investment, HHLA is positioning itself in the growing Adriatic market. This will be HHLA’s third international venture outside Hamburg after Odessa (Ukraine) and Tallinn (Estonia).

The terminal facilities are within the Free Port of Trieste and cover a total area of 28 hectares (69 acres). A newly developed area for container and RoRo traffic will start operations in the first quarter of 2021. The capacity of the PLT terminal will then be approximately 300,000 TEU, 90,000 RoRo units and 700,000 tonnes of general cargo. There is also room for expansion.

The PLT terminal has its own rail spur. The HHLA rail subsidiary Metrans connects the Port of Trieste with its European intermodal network. 

“The Adriatic region has been developing very dynamically in the past few years. As the northernmost port in the Mediterranean, Trieste is the southern gateway to Central and Eastern Europe,” said Angela Titzrath, chairwoman of HHLA’s Executive Board.

“The investment is a strategic expansion to our existing port and intermodal network. The terminal gives us the opportunity to actively participate in and help shape new and changing cargo flows and underline our ambitions to grow internationally.” 

The transaction is subject to various conditions precedent and is expected to close in January 2021.