HGK Shipping is expanding its activities to include the pre- and on-carriage business for tank containers, thus creating important synergy effects for customers in the chemical industry.

Duisburg. HGK Shipping is expanding its activities to include the pre- and on-carriage business for tank containers, thus creating important synergy effects for customers in the chemical industry. As part of an asset deal, Europe's leading inland shipping company is taking over the entire operational tank container logistics business of Köppen GmbH. With around 1,000 tank containers in operation, the company is a strong service provider in intermodal hinterland transport for the chemical industry. The purchase agreement was signed in Duisburg on 25 October 2023. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

With the acquisition of the three locations in Duisburg, Hamburg and Ludwigshafen, HGK Shipping will be able to efficiently connect the production facilities of the chemical industry's most important centres with the container terminals both in the region and in the ARA ports. A total fleet of around 1,000 tank containers is available for this purpose. The expanded service portfolio includes intermodal transport for liquid and temperature-controlled chemicals as well as the transport of pressurised gases. Customers thus receive integrated and demand-orientated logistics services including inland waterway, rail and truck transport from a single source. Tank container transport by road will continue to be carried out in close partnership with Köppen GmbH.

"Intermodal transport using inland waterway vessels has proven to be a climate-friendly transport option for the chemical industry. The purchase offers an optimal growth platform and portfolio expansion for our company, but also for the HGK Group as a whole. Our aim is to offer an integrated supply chain across all modes of transport," says Steffen Bauer, CEO of HGK Shipping, adding: "With the expanded range of services, we can offer our existing and new customers attractive one-stop logistics and at the same time increase the resilience of our customers' supply chains, especially in low-water phases." In addition, the tank container business will be strategically developed to transport goods such as hydrogen, hydrogen derivatives or CO2 by tank container, thus making HGK Shipping fit for the future in this area as well.

In organisational terms, the new business unit is part of HGK Chemical Logistics GmbH. Dirk Czerlinski, who already held this position at Köppen GmbH and has extensive expertise in this segment, will assume responsibility for the division. Among other things, Czerlinski worked for many years at VTG GmbH, based in Hamburg, where he was responsible for the tank container business.

"The continuation of the forwarding activities by a strong partner is the logical consequence of the growth of the past two years," says Jochen Köppen, Managing Partner of Köppen GmbH, who expressly thanks the employees around Dirk Czerlinski for building up the forwarding companies. Jochen Köppen is convinced: "By taking over the entire staff, the HGK Group not only guarantees customers the continuation and expansion of the existing business, but also complements it with its promising service portfolio."

As a neutral seaport freight forwarder, Köppen GmbH has been carrying out the onward carriage of tank container imports for the chemical industry and trade for many years. The company took advantage of the gradual withdrawal of a tank container operator to become a tank container forwarder itself and build up its own tank container fleet.

In future, Köppen GmbH will concentrate on further developing its core competences of storage, cleaning and repair of tank containers at the Duisburg site and the transport operations in Duisburg and Dessau.

Picture caption:

Photo signing the contract (from left to right): Claus Overlöper, Jochen Köppen, Steffen Bauer, Christian Möhrmann; Source: HGK Shipping

Contact: 
 
HGK Group
Christian Lorenz
Press spokesman
Phone: +49 221 390 11 90 
Email: lorenzc@hgk.de
Köppen GmbH
Jochen Köppen
Managing Partner
Phone: +49 203 4299313
Email: jochen.koeppen@koeppen.eu

About the HGK Group:

Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG (HGK) is the logistics company within the Stadtwerke Köln Group. From a former port operator, HGK has developed into a Europe-wide group for integrated transport and logistics services. Divided into the five business divisions Logistics & Intermodal, Shipping, Rail Operations, Infrastructure & Maintenance and Real Estate, the HGK Group operates Germany's largest inland port network, one of the largest private freight railways, specialised logistics companies and terminals as well as its own rail network and workshops for freight rail transport via its subsidiaries and associated companies. HGK Shipping GmbH is the largest inland shipping company in Europe.

About HGK Shipping:

HGK Shipping is part of Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG. The fleet comprises around 350 ships, including particuliers. The transport spectrum ranges from liquid chemical products and liquefied gases to dry goods and breakbulk.

About Köppen GmbH:

In Duisburg, Köppen GmbH operates a tank interior cleaning facility for tank lorries and tank containers, a tank container workshop, a container depot and a hazardous materials warehouse for the storage of tank containers and portable tanks for around 350 containers. The site is an upper class operating area within the meaning of the BImSchG. Through co-operation with a terminal operation, around 1,300 empty and cleaned tank containers can currently be stored. The vehicle fleet comprises approx. 50 towing and 90 towed units and is distributed between the sites in Duisburg and Dessau.