Turkish terminal operator Yilport Holding has gained full control of Gävle’s terminals.
Yilport Holding acquired 100% shares of Gävle Container Terminal (GCT) and Baltic Sea Gateway (BSG). The Port of Gävle is Sweden’s third-biggest container port, situated just north of Stockholm.
The 30+10 year concession signed with Gävle Municipality awards Yilport Holding, a Yildirim Group subsidiary, the rights to operate container, bulk, general cargo, rail and CFS services in Port of Gävle terminals.
Yilport already owns 80% shares of Gävle Container Terminal since 2014, and Gävle Municipality awarded Yilport the remaining 20% shares in the new deal signed on 2 May 2016. The concession also includes 100% shares of Baltic Sea Gateway AB, another subsidiary of Gävle Municipality.
The agreement appoints Yilport to undertake all operations as the sole operator at Port of Gävle. The 40-year concession (10 years optional) gave Yilport the right to operate container, bulk and general cargo, rail, and CFS warehouses of the port.
Robert Yuksel Yildirim, Chairman of Yilport Holding said: “Yilport Holding has become a global port terminal operator since 2004 as a result of global investments. We are proud to be the only Turkish company to be listed among international terminal operators. We are delighted to enter into a 40-year concession agreement with Port of Gävle. Gävle welcomed us in 2014, and we acquired 80% shares of Gävle Container Terminal."
He adds: "Today Yilport is very happy to be awarded the remaining 20% shares and Baltic Sea Gateway terminal as well. I believe that we will maximize efficiency and profitability by consolidating Port of Gävle operations. We are excited to bring our experience to BSG and GCT, expand further and offer end-to-end terminal services in Gävle. We welcome new terminals in our portfolio, and take another step towards our goal to be ranked among top 10 international port operators by 2025. As part of this objective we strive to enhance our global presence further.”
The Turkish operator aims to break into the world’s top ten port operators by 2025 and this acquisition is part of that strategy, the company said in a statement. Yilport currently operates 22 terminals across seven countries, mostly located in Europe.