Despite headwinds from the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to global supply chains, APM Terminals secured an all-time high for container activity in Denmark during 2020.
Throughout the year the largest terminal in Denmark, APM Terminals Aarhus, completed 330,000 container moves and processed 593,670 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), which represents an overall growth of 13 percent compared to 2019 and the previous record.
The growth in volumes was primarily driven by reefer containers and the transportation of temperature-sensitive cargo coming out of Denmark.
“In a year with many challenges I am happy to see that Danish global trade remained strong. While 2020 has delivered growth on all container types for both imports and exports in Denmark, there has been a notable uptick in Danish reefer exports, with an increase of 18 percent,” says Dennis Olesen, Managing Director Nordics at APM Terminals.
Capacity increased
In order to sustain these increased volumes, APM Terminals Aarhus ramped-up capacity several times during the year.
“The organization has done a great job in managing the increased growth throughout the pandemic, where volumes have been so significant, that we have increased our reefer capacity twice and are planning another increase in capacity during 2021, in order to ensure smooth operations for our customers,” says Dennis Olesen.
APM Terminals Aarhus handles more than 60 percent of the container volumes in Denmark and is among the most efficient and modern container terminals in Europe, delivering over 33 gross moves per hour (GMPH).