Decline in goods and passengers: MV ports struggle in 2024!

Decline in goods and passengers: MV ports struggle in 2024!

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the seaports have entered a challenging time. Loud n-tv In 2024, the ports recorded a decline in goods handled and also in passengers. Goods throughput fell by 1.7 percent and totaled almost 30 million tons. The number of passengers also fell by 4.3 percent to around 3.2 million. The background is the economic uncertainty in Germany and among international trading partners such as China.

The value is particularly striking in the Rostock overseas port, which remains the largest port in the state with 23.4 million tons. Here the decline in goods throughput was 3 percent. Interesting detail: Despite these severe cuts, Rostock has been a real climber in the last ten years - compared to the 21 million tons that were handled in 2014, this is a significant increase.

Rostock remains a heavyweight

Rostock can look forward to a paradoxically positive result: around 2.8 million guests were registered in passenger traffic, which corresponds to a slight decrease compared to the previous year. However, the port of Sassnitz follows with at least 270,000 passengers. The figures show that ferry and RoRo goods make up the largest share of total throughput at 16.5 million tonnes. The quantities of crude oil that are pumped into the pipeline for the PCK refinery in Schwedt also play a significant role - here the throughput figures remained stable at six million tons.

What is striking is the increase in the throughput of liquid goods, which remained at 7.9 million tons. Conversely, the throughput of bulk goods and especially coal developed negatively because the Rostock coal-fired power plant was shut down for a long time due to repair work. This was also reflected in the construction sector by a decline in building materials.

Investments for the future

To counteract the challenges, the port invested almost 18 million euros in the infrastructure in 2024. Investments of around 50 million euros are planned for the coming year. Managing director Tesch made it clear that despite the declines, the focus is on the long-term growth trend - the port has grown steadily in recent years.

The situation in the shipping industry as a whole remains tense. The German seaports recorded a total throughput of 274 million tons, an increase of 2.3 percent. However, the industry is at a level like it was 20 years ago, which is not surprising given the challenges such as the complex routes and the excitement surrounding the Suez Canal. Statista reports that over 90 percent of global trade volume is transported by water, further highlighting the importance of seaports.

Shipping must prepare itself for the future. Large shipping companies are aiming to be climate neutral by 2050 - an ambitious goal that will primarily be accompanied by alternative fuels such as green methanol. Nevertheless, the availability of these ecological fuels remains a major challenge for the industry.

In summary, it can be said that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's ports are facing a time of change. The current declines could be temporary, but with targeted investments and an eye to the future, there is hope that the situation will soon improve again - true to the motto: “Crises also offer opportunities”.