Denmark’s largest commercial port concluded 2019 with a profit of DKK 84 million: an increase of DKK 12 million on the previous year. The Port of Aarhus also succeeded in reducing the company’s CO2 emissions by 15% to 1,248 tons of CO2 in 2019.

The DKK 84 million profit is the result of an increase in total freight turnover, a tripling of the growth in land rent compared to a normal year, and an increase in financial income. The management regards the result, which makes a positive contribution to the company’s equity, as solid. COVID-19 made no impact at all on the year’s profits, and it is still unclear as to how it will affect the 2020 result.

Total freight turnover increased by 2%, covering a variation within the various business areas. For example, container turnover increased by 6%, and even by November the Port of Aarhus had broken its own Danish record.

The Chief Commercial Officer, Nicolai Krøyer regards the record as a continuation of the positive evolution of the Port of Aarhus’s container business.

“Over the past three financial years, we have realised an increase of more than 25% in our container sales. What is more, it is far more than the growth in society during the same period,” says Nicolai Krøyer.

Conversely, for a number of reasons, bulk turnover was impacted, for example, by poor biofuel sales due to a mild winter, but also due to lack of space at the port.

According to Nicolai Krøyer, some of the company’s bulk customers chose to store cargo in other ports on a temporary basis prior to shipping it to Aarhus at a later stage.

“Of course, the fact that lack of space means we cannot get the cargo to Aarhus has a negative impact on our bulk turnover. But to tackle the issue, we are constantly attempting to optimise the space in the port areas available to us,” says Nicolai Krøyer.

During the year, the Port of Aarhus invested DKK 147 million in new infrastructure, including a new ferry terminal for Molslinjen and an upgrade of Østhavnsvej. 

Nicolai Krøyer points out that, as well as prioritising infrastructure, throughout 2019 the company worked intensively on sustainability.

“For the first time ever, we charted our own CO2 emissions for the entire company and, in tandem with this work, in a single year we succeeded in reducing our emissions by an impressive 15%. That is indisputably a quick and positive development in a vital area,” states Nicolai Krøyer.

The biggest reductions in CO2 emissions were in tugboats, diesel vehicles and fuel oil.

Source aarhushavn.dk/en