Great start – but gloomy ending summarizes 2022
For a long time, 2022 looked like it could offer an all-time high result at The Port of Helsingborg. A welcomed forecast after a couple of rough pandemic years. But war and social unrest, inflation and record-high energy prices hit The Port hard during the latter half of the year. While the business fought to keep costs down, a slowdown in container volumes as a result of high inflation was clearly noticeable.
Unlike the beginning of last year, 2023 starts challenging with reduced purchasing power as a result of increased interest rates and high inflation globally, which affects both export and import volumes to and from Sweden.
Cargo volumes 2022
Within the container segment, The Port had good stability for most of the year, despite the fact that The Port of Helsingborg lost a weekly call in connection with the blockades against Russian-related vessels in the first half of 2022. The fourth quarter became disappointing with declining volumes and continued high operational costs. The Port handled a total of 272,000 TEUs* by sea, which is on par with previous years’ handling.
| Volumes (thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ton cargo passing through The Port | 8 559 | 8 394 | 7 959 |
| Handled units in TEU* by sea, LOLO och RORO | 272 | 273 | 267 |
| Handled containers in TEU* by sea, LOLO | 268 | 269 | 261 |
| Handled units in TEU* by land via rail | 28 | 24 | 22 |
| Trucks by ferry | 457 | 450 | 447 |
| Cars by ferry | 1038 | 718 | 701 |
| Passengers by ferry | 6 301 | 4 009 | 3 562 |
* The transport unit Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit, TEU, measures the volume that passes through the port.
One TEU corresponds to the volume of a container with the measurements 8x9x20 feet or just over 36.25 m³.
Intermodal traffic increased
The Port of Helsingborg saw a 17 percent increase in cargo arriving or leaving The Port by land via rail.
– We are of course very happy about this, and we see opportunities to further increase the volumes via rail as The Port have the capacity, competence, and infrastructure already in place, says Nicklas Romell, CCO at The Port of Helsingborg.
Transporting containerized cargo by rail is becoming gradually more common, both long-distance such as the Helsingborg – Boliden shuttle and shorter distances such as the Helsingborg – Älmhult shuttle. Intermodal traffic has generally increased and at The Port of Helsingborg’s Combi Terminal the number rose with 4,000 TEUs handled last year and resulted in a total of 28,000 TEUs via rail.
Good recovery for the ferry traffic and cruise calls
After a few heavy pandemic years, ferry traffic recovered to pre-covid levels with increased volumes in all categories. Trucks increased modestly by one percent, passenger cars by over 45 percent and the number of passengers crossing the strait increased by 57 percent from just over four million to over six million passengers. The Port of Helsingborg was the port in Sweden that had both the most calls and the most passengers in 2022.
– It is of course incredibly satisfying for our ferry companies that operate the strait between Helsingborg and Elsinore that both the traffic and the passengers have found their way back after a couple of difficult years. This is an indication of loyal customers and travelers who appreciate the service, says Nicklas.
A total of five luxury cruise ships visited The Port of Helsingborg, as well as the wooden swedish ship Götheborg, who visited Helsingborg for the first time during The City’s H22 City Expo.
Bulk cargo
The turnover for bulk traffic increased from SEK 23 to 28 million in 2022 compared to the previous year. One of the reasons for the increase is that the local energy company Öresundskraft increased its import of wooden pellets due to the situation on the energy market. With sky-high electricity prices in southern Sweden, the use of pellets increased in Öresundskraft’s cogeneration plant to produce both electricity and district heating.
| Finances (SEK million) och personnel | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net turnover | 426 | 413 | 390 |
| Operating costs | 360 | 352 | 330 |
| Profit after financial items* | 71 | 69 | 65 |
| Use of Energy – gross GWh | 17,0 | 18,3 | 18 |
| Employees** | 195 | 205 | 215 |
| Accident rate (LTIF)*** | 1,68 | 1,12 | 0,56 |
*Excluding items affecting comparability ** The average number of employees during the year *** Number of accidents that resulted in absence for more than one day per 200,000 hours worked, excluding subcontractors
Sweden’s most sustainable port
The Port of Helsingborg’s goal is to be Sweden’s most sustainable port. The Port’s ambition is to take the lead and create a port where operations are run economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. By offering safe, effective and energy-efficient methods of operation that produce low emissions, counteract global warming and provide a safe and secure workplace, The Port of Helsingborg contributes to the regions and business community’s competitiveness in the market.
