The largest port in the Nordic region enters a new phase

The largest port in the Nordic region - the Port of Gothenburg - is now being opened to private terminal operators following a decision by the owner of the port, the City of Gothenburg.

The Port of Gothenburg is currently a wholly-owned municipal company. Now the City Executive Board has supported a proposal which would lead to the port being divided up into a port authority and three terminal companies, which would eventually be taken over by private terminal operators. This move is prompted by port development internationally, where the majority of large ports are divided into port authorities and private terminals.

"I regard the decision as a natural progression. The Port Authority can now focus entirely on developing Gothenburg as a marketplace and freight hub and reinforce its role as the leading port in the Nordic region," says Magnus Kårestedt, chief executive of the Port of Gothenburg.

Gothenburg is by far the largest port in the Nordic region and in recent years it has also reinforced its position as a transit hub for the Baltic Region and Russia. This year alone, the port has acquired four new routes to Russia. The Port of Gothenburg is also the only port in the Nordic region with deep-sea direct calls to all parts of the world.

"By bringing in external terminal operators who can contribute with their international know-how, Gothenburg can attract more routes and expand even further," says Magnus Kårestedt.

The Port of Gothenburg Board of Directors have now been assigned the task of preparing a detailed proposal for how the division will take place. The final decision will be reached by the Gothenburg City Council in the autumn. It is estimated that privatisation of terminal operations can commence at the beginning of next year.

Fact file: Port of Gothenburg
Last year, the Port of Gothenburg handled 43.3 million tonnes of freight. The Container Terminal, which is the largest in the Nordic region, last year handled 862,500 TEUs. The 24 rail shuttles with daily departures allow easy access to the rest of Sweden and the Nordic region via Gothenburg. The Port of Gothenburg is also the largest Swedish port of entry for export vehicles in Sweden. In total, 271,500 vehicles were either exported or imported through Gothenburg last year. From the port's ro/ro terminal, which is the second-largest in Sweden, there is regular scheduled traffic to other countries in northern Europe. The port's other operations comprise cruise ships, ferry traffic and oil.

For further information, please contact Cecilia Carlsson, Media Relations Officer, Port of Gothenburg, tel. +46 (0)31-731 22 45.