Share swap-shop for HPH

The deals will see HPH becoming a majority shareholder of NYK’s Amsterdam-based Ceres Container Terminals (CTE), while NYK will have a minority stake in Europe Container Terminals (ECT) in Rotterdam.

Meanwhile, HPH will become a shareholder of the Taranto Container Terminal, while Evergreen gains a minority stake interest in London Thamesport and ECT Delta.

The idea is that HPH’s investments will give it both its first transhipment presence in the central Mediterranean area (from Evergreen) and help strengthen its presence in northern Europe, since CTE has particularly good hinterland and feeder connections. On the other hand, NYK and Evergreen will be able to tap into HPH’s network of European ports and port-developed systems.

Buying into cooperative links between Amsterdam and it’s overwhelmingly larger sister in Rotterdam would seem to be very good news for NYK while getting a foot in the door at Thamesport is a positive move for the diverse Evergreen group.

And continuing with the placement strategies, HPH has just signed a concession agreement to operate the container terminal at Stockholm Free Port, with effect from 1 March 2009. This paves the way for HPH to develop new container-handling facilities at the Port of Nynäshamn, Norvikudden, approximately 60 kilometres south of Stockholm.

Further, Shenzhen Yantian Port Group (YPG) has also got the HPH bug, recently announcing that it has signed a Heads of Agreement for the joint construction and development of the Shenzhen Yantian East Port Phase I Container Terminal Project with HPH.