On the basis of the Rules of Ljubljana Stock Exchange and the Financial Instruments Market Act RS, Luka Koper d.d. publishes the Non-audited Report on the Performance of Luka Koper d.d. and Luka Koper Group in January – March 2022.

The Luka Koper Group's performance in the first quarter of 2022 was better than last year and above expectations. At the beginning of the year, the recovery of the global economy after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic was also visible in the throughput, while on the other hand any effects of the war in Ukraine were not perceived. Direct exposure of Luka Koper to Russia and Ukraine is relatively small, as the volume of throughput to these two countries is negligible. Nevertheless, we are closely monitoring the situation, in particular the impact of the war on energy prices and the possible consequences for global economic growth. "At Luka Koper, we believe that we will emerge victorious from the crisis that everyone is predicting, because we are well prepared for it and have plans to counter it. In the first place, we are focusing on the diversification of our terminals, which has provided us with a sufficient degree of stability in all past crises," said Boštjan Napast, President of the Management Board of Luka Koper, commenting on the situation on the global level.

In the first three months of the year, growth in throughput was recorded in all commodity groups. Total throughput was 18% higher than in the same period last year. Liquid, dry bulk and bulk cargoes are up significantly, while general cargoes are also above average. “The greatest pressure is being experienced at the Container Terminal, where increased throughput, irregular ship arrivals and slower container turnarounds – also due to the lack of storage capacities in Slovenia’s hinterland – are affecting the yard occupancy despite the fact that in recent months, we have increased our storage capacity by 10%. The global situation in container shipping continues to be unstable and is being felt in all ports around the world, affecting the entire logistics chain, including land transport, which has to adapt to the situation,” added Napast.

Throughput by commodity group (tons):

Increased throughput volumes, higher volumes of supporting services, price increases and, above all, higher warehousing income contributed to a 23% increase in net turnover compared to the same period last year. This had the effect of doubling EBIT and net profit.

Key performance indicators of the Luka Koper Group vs. Plan 2022 and Performance 2021 (in EUR):

This year, we will continue to invest in the Container Terminal area. We have completed the construction of the storage area behind the new Berth 7D on the south side of Pier 1. We received two new Super Post-Panamax cranes and ordered additional three E-RTG cranes for yard handling. We have prepared the ground for the construction of a new external truck terminal at the Sermin gate. Construction of a new multi-purpose warehouse has started. We have also obtained the necessary documentation to begin earthworks in the area of the so-called 5A cassettes, where we will build a car storage area.

In the coming months, the company will focus on preparing the documentation for the launch of a new development cycle, with container throughput at its core. The aim is to expand the Container Terminal and extend the northern part of Pier 1, increasing its capacity to 1.75 million TEUs per year by 2026, when an additional rail link between the port and the hinterland is expected to be built and operational. "A few days ago, the company celebrated its 65th anniversary. Over the decades, it has developed into the first container port in the Adriatic and the fifth car handling port in Europe. Investments in port infrastructure are the basic assumption that we will maintain these achievements also in the future", added Napast.