QTerminals invests in Rotterdam

A month after signing of the agreement on the deep-water container terminal in Świnoujście, one of the members of the consortium being a partner of the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority – the Qatari company QTerminals announced the acquisition of a majority stake in "Kramer Holding B.V." – a provider of integrated logistics and container services located in the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. 

The transaction worth over €250 million was fully financed by QTerminals Group.  The company said in a statement:

"QTerminals Group pursues a global internationalization strategy around the vision to become a safe, world-class, customer focused port and terminal operator with a global portfolio. In the light of this strategy, QTerminals Group has previously invested in the Port of Akdeniz in Turkiye (January 2021) and the Port of Olvia in the Ukrainian Republic (December 2021).

The acquisition of Kramer Group represents an important milestone in the expansion of QTerminals Group, as Rotterdam Port is the largest port in Europe and is a significant addition to QTerminals Group’s record of success in diversifying its operations."

Kramer Holding B.V. operates two container terminals in the port of Rotterdam, in the Maasvlakte 1 area:

• Rotterdam Container Terminal (RCT)

• Delta Container Services (DCS)

Both terminals are located in the immediate vicinity of the ECT Delta 1 terminal and the APMT terminal in the Maasvlakte 2 area. Additionally, Kramer Group operates several container depots at six locations with access to the network of major deepsea container terminals. Five of these locations are in Maasvlakte area and one in Eem/Waalhaaven. The company offers trimodal transport options for rail, waterways and road transport. The Kramer Group has long-term contracts with the major terminal operators of the port, in addition to excellent relationships with its client base and the Port of Rotterdam Authority that have been developed for over 20 years.

It is worth recalling that the agreement signed on 10 July this year in Szczecin between the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority S.A. and a consortium consisting of DEME CONCESSIONS N.V. and QTERMINALS W.L.L. concerns a 30-year lease of land in the outer port in Świnoujście, related to the financing, construction and operation of the Deepwater Container Terminal. The terminal located on the pier in the Pomeranian Bay will be able to handle the largest container ships entering the Baltic Sea, including ocean-going container ships with direct connection from the Far East. The launch of the Świnoujście terminal is planned for the beginning of 2028.

The current acquisition of Kramer Group by QTerminals allows its entry and presence in the largest port in Europe, which makes QTerminals Group's position stronger in relation to future opportunities in Europe and other developed global markets. Thus, the operator of the future container terminal in Świnoujście will be part of a group operating also in the largest European port. 

It is also worth mentioning that regardless of the QTerminals investment in the Dutch port, the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority S.A. signed on October 30, 2019 with the Port of Rotterdam Authority an agreement on mutual cooperation covering among others: creation of alternative supply chains between ports in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, exchange of experience and data related to the creation and development of short sea shipping, environmental issues and digitalization of port processes. The aim of cooperation between ports is to contribute to the growth of trade and the sustainable development of port activities.