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Macquarie JV sells deep water container terminal to IFM Investors partnership
Transactions - MARCH 20, 2019

Macquarie JV sells deep water container terminal to IFM Investors partnership

by Jody Barhanovich

PSA International, the Polish Development Fund and the IFM Global Infrastructure Fund managed by IFM Investors, have signed an agreement, subject to formal approval by the relevant competition authorities, to jointly acquire 100 percent of the shares of DCT Gdańsk, the largest container terminal in Poland, from the Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets–managed fund Global Infrastructure Fund II, MTAA Super, AustralianSuper and Statewide Super. DCT Gdańsk is PSA’s first investment in Eastern Europe.

DCT Gdańsk is situated at the crossroads of the Baltic deep-sea trading routes and holds a strategic position as a major gateway into Poland and Central and Eastern European markets. Construction of the port began in 2005, with the outgoing shareholders facilitating the greenfield development of the port and overseeing 13 years of transformational growth. Following a significant capital expenditure program, the port’s capacity doubled in 2016 with the completion of a second quay. Container volumes have grown steadily over the years to reach 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2018.

DCT Gdańsk is the fastest-growing container port in Europe and is ranked among the 15 largest container ports on the continent. With a quay length of 1,306 meters and a maximum depth of 17 meters, the terminal is well-equipped to handle the largest container vessels calling at the terminal already today.

Tan Chong Meng, group CEO of PSA International, said, “Through leveraging our global network and our expertise in creating value for the port and shipping communities, PSA will partner with shipping lines, logistics operators and cargo owners to deliver more efficient, flexible and robust supply chain solutions for the region.”

“The transaction also marks another investment for IFM in a core infrastructure asset in Poland, expanding upon our long-standing presence in the country,” said Kyle Mangini, global head of infrastructure at IFM Investors.

DCT Gdańsk is the only terminal in the Baltic that can serve ultra-large container vessels, the world’s largest container ships with a capacity of up to 23,000 TEUs. It provides shipping lines and end-customers with a reliable and cost-effective alternative to the ports of Northern Europe, servicing direct connections with Asia all year round.

Given the constant growth and development of the business, the terminal is expected to reach full capacity utilization in the upcoming years.

To allow for further development of DCT Gdańsk, PSA, the Polish Development Fund and IFM Investors will explore the construction of a new expansion area and further increases in capacity.

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