Port of Aalborg assumes operation of the East Port container terminal

Royal Arctic Line is ceasing its activities at the container terminal in Aalborg on 31st December 2022, after which Port of Aalborg has initially opted to operate the terminal itself, but under a new setup. The container terminal shall become a growth driver for the business community throughout North Jutland.

– Having investigated several options, we decided that the best solution for now is to operate the terminal ourselves going forward. Our aim is to transform and improve the existing setup to address the need for greater flexibility, revised cost structure and increased digitisation, if we are to be competitive in a very demanding market. We look forward to developing the container terminal together with the shipping companies, so that in the future it can serve and strengthen collaboration with all the North Jutland companies, both new and existing, shipping goods in and out of Aalborg to the whole world, says Søren Bæk Christensen, Director of Operations at Port of Aalborg A/S.

He is complemented by Jens Juel Rasmussen, Area Director Scandinavia at Unifeeder A/S, which operates the weekly feeder route between Aalborg, Bremerhaven and Hamburg, one of Europe’s largest container ports.

– Port of Aalborg has had a container business in the East Port for five decades. Consequently, it has the necessary expertise and experience in handling containers to be able to operate the terminal going forward. Hamburg is a hub for routes to virtually the whole world, which affords the companies of North Jutland easy access to the global transport network. The new setup will undoubtedly create a breeding ground for developing a more competitive container terminal in Aalborg.

Growth driver for North Jutland companies

Port of Aalborg estimates that there is a large customer base for the container business in Aalborg and that a forward-looking strategy based on the companies of North Jutland is preferable to a narrower focus on goods.

– In the future, competition, growth, flexibility and individually customised solutions will be the key concepts that characterise the new container terminal and the way we service our customers, says Kjartan Ross, Chief Commercial Officer at Port of Aalborg A/S and continues:

– We are convinced that a different focus and development of the container terminal’s operation, both quantitatively and qualitatively, can generate development opportunities for companies in Aalborg and the rest of North Jutland, thereby enabling the terminal to become a future driver for the region.

Intermodal, flexible container terminal

When Port of Aalborg, which operates the entire port company, takes over the operation, there will automatically be a focus on more than just the container business. There is also direct access to intermodal logistics solutions in the East Port where rail, lorries, RO-RO etc. can be combined with the feeder route.

– The customers shall experience a flexible terminal, and we will do our utmost to create individual solutions for each company, so that their logistics setup is tailored to their specific needs. However, it is not just about operations, it is also about strengthening the companies’ growth and opportunities to maintain their development by constantly optimising the container terminal to meet the needs of the companies, says Søren Bæk Christensen.

Greener, automated cargo handling

Port of Aalborg is participating in the EU research project AEGIS (Advanced Efficient and Green Inter-modal System), aimed at developing a new concept for short sea shipping in Europe in order to take freight off the roads by optimising the transport of goods via Europe’s inland waterways and short sea shipping. The project involves 12 partners from Denmark and abroad, including Port of Aalborg and Aalborg University.

– AEGIS has already shown enormous potential through the development of smart technologies and automation solutions that are being tested in practice using the Port of Aalborg as a testing platform. Specific proposals are also being developed around how to construct a new fully automated terminal that can handle both RORO, container and bulk transport via short sea shipping and the rail network, both of which have tremendous potential for making the transport sector greener. This could potentially aid us in becoming the market leader within intelligent cargo handling and technology, which will enhance the container terminal and the subsequent development opportunities and competitiveness of the North Jutland companies, concludes Kjartan Ross.

For further information, please contact:

• Søren Bæk, Director of Operations, Port of Aalborg A/S, tel. +45 99 30 15 30 / +45 23 10 98 40 and sbc@portofaalborg.com
• Press service: Maja Thordahl Schou, Head of Branding & PR, Port of Aalborg A/S, tel. +45 22 61 83 08 and mts@portofaalborg.com