At its meeting held on 18 April 2024, the Supervisory Board of the Company approved the audited Annual Report of the Company and the Luka Koper Group for 2023.
The financial year 2023 was a dynamic and challenging one for Luka Koper in all respects. Despite forecasts to the contrary, the global economy recovered more slowly than expected. The complex logistics situation that characterised 2022 continued in the first half of last year, reflected in delays in the arrival of container ships on direct connections to the Far East and to ports in the Mediterranean, as well as in a gradual reduction in fares. The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, which led some shipowners to temporarily divert their ships to the route around Africa in December, posed an additional threat to the established flows of goods coming through the Suez Canal.
Despite the circumstances, 2023 was a successful year for the companies in the Luka Koper Group. We performed above expectations and recorded growth in throughput in both strategic commodity groups. Net sales revenue was EUR 312.8 million, in line with 2022 revenue. Higher revenue was due to increased container and car throughput, higher container stuffing and stripping services, additional services and higher prices, while warehousing revenue was lower due to the normalisation of the global logistics market and shorter warehouse dwell times. This had an impact both on the operating result (EBIT), which at EUR 60.9 million was 76% ahead of plan, and on the net profit of EUR 56.4 million, which was 75% ahead of plan, also thanks to the higher financial result.
41.5 million euros of investments last year
In 2023, we continued to invest actively, concluding several important projects in the framework of a EUR 41.5 million development cycle. In the middle of the year, we handed over new storage space for 3,500 vehicles in the hinterland of the Basin 3, bringing the total capacity of the Car and RO-RO Terminal to 46,500 vehicles. We built new refrigerated container terminals at the Container and Reefer Terminals where the new infrastructure allows, among other things, containers to be stored at five heights, making better use of the space within the port. Among the major investments we successfully completed was the construction of a new external Truck Terminal at Sermin, which is considered one of the most modern facilities in terms of both infrastructure and services. In addition, we have successfully upgraded the port’s fire-fighting and power systems and implemented a system that enables paperless operations for truck check-in at the Car Terminal.
In 2023, the Company allocated EUR 4.8 million to sustainability and energy investments, or 11.5% of the total investment value. We maintained our environmental sustainability standards (EMAS), continued to reduce our carbon footprint and increased the share of energy self-sufficiency through renewable energy sources. At the Port of Koper, we also demonstrate our responsibility towards the environment and people by supporting sports, cultural, charitable and other associations and organisations operating in the area, as evidenced by the EUR 1.43 million in sponsorship and donations in 2023 and other activities within the framework of targeted projects to reduce the port’s impact.
785 million euros for development and capacity building
Last year also saw the adoption of a new strategic business plan for the Company and the Luka Koper Group for the period 2024-2028. Over the next five years, our mission will be to provide reliable, high-quality port services in line with sustainable development guidelines, with the aim of becoming the first choice among ports on the southern European transport route. The port’s development will be based on four key pillars: increasing infrastructure capacity, accelerating the introduction of the smart port concept, ensuring adequate staffing, and taking care of sustainability aspects and reducing negative impacts on the environment and society. In line with the Group’s strategy, Luka Koper also continues to maintain the multi-purpose port model, which is one of the key competitive advantages of our Company.
Full report on https://www.luka-kp.si/en/investors/annual-reports/
