The Management Board of the Port of Linz can look back with great satisfaction on the past financial year (October 2017 to September 2018). Sales increases were achieved in almost all segments, with a significant increase in container handling:
With 224,172 TEUs, the previous year’s level (208,916 TEUs) was exceeded by 7.3 per cent. This is the third best result in the history of the container terminal. Thus the company has finally overcome the consequences of customer churn in 2016, Harald Kronsteiner, Director of the port, points out at the press conference.
In the 2018 financial year, Linz AG Logistik (port division of Linz Service GmbH and Österreichische Donaulager GmbH) generated sales of EUR 50.2 million. Compared to sales of EUR 44.7 million in the 2017 financial year, this represents an increase of EUR 5.5 million or 12.3 per cent. This is mainly the result of the expansion of the transport logistics business. The Transport Logistics unit achieved its the best result in history: The revenue from the previous year improved by EUR 4 million or 21 per cent from EUR 20 million to EUR 24 million.
Meanwhile, the low water on the Danube becomes a problem, admits Erich Haider, CEO of Linz AG and CEO of Linz Service GmbH. The long, hot summers reduce transport on the Danube and the pending expansion measures along the Danube were not beneficial to this situation either.
Although total performance of 2018 (water and land transport) was 2,817,678 tonnes, thus 45,879 tonnes or 1.7 per cent higher than the previous year’s throughput volume (2,771,799 tonnes). However, according to Harald Kronsteiner, water handling has fallen by about 20 per cent from 717,000 tonnes to 568,000 tonnes. In the financial year 2018, 556 ships arrived at the ports of Linz AG (trading port and tank terminal). Compared to the 2017 financial year, this means a decline of 141 ships or 20.2 per cent.
The main alternative to the waterway is rail. In the port railway business segment, a stable development can be observed. In the financial year 2018, there were 110,428 wagon movements compared to 114,187 wagon movements in the 2017 financial year.
At the beginning of the current financial year (balance sheet date 30 September), declines in the container business were noted due to the economic slowdown. Linz AG Logistik is trying to counteract this with diversification in other business areas and price adjustments.
