Infracapital adds to inland container transport platform with the acquisition of CTH
Infracapital, the infrastructure equity investment arm of M&G Plc, has agreed to acquire 66.67% of CTH, the Dutch inland port and rail terminal operator, from Bolk Container Transport and Nijhof-Wassink. Through this acquisition, Infracapital increases its stake in CTH to 100%, having already acquired 33.33% of the business via its acquisition of Multimodal Container Services B.V. (MCS) in 2021. CTH is being acquired via Infracapital’s Benelux inland container terminal platform, Inland Terminals Group (ITG).
Headquartered in Hengelo, CTH operates two strategically located inland terminals in the Netherlands which are located between the existing ITG catchment areas and offer direct services to the Port of Rotterdam, making this acquisition a highly complementary and synergistic addition to the ITG platform. In addition CTH operates a rail terminal in the Pernis area of the Port of Rotterdam, which offers services to rail operators across Europe.
Inland shipping and rail, which have significantly lower carbon footprints compared to trucking, are a resilient and growing segment in the Benelux logistics market. This is underpinned by strong political support for a shift away from road transport to ease road congestion and help achieve decarbonisation objectives. The enlarged ITG network incorporating the CTH terminals is well positioned to expand in line with this modal shift, with barging and rail expected to account for an increasing proportion of inland transport from Rotterdam in the future.
CTH marks Infracapital’s third acquisition in the inland terminals sector, having acquired BCTN in June 2021 and MCS in December 2021, which have since been integrated to form ITG, the largest inland terminal operator in the Benelux. CTH’s addition to the platform is aligned with Infracapital’s strategy to invest sustainably in essential infrastructure to meet the changing needs of society and support long-term economic growth across Europe.
Herman Deetman, Managing Director at Infracapital, said: “The acquisition of CTH further bolsters and diversifies Infracapital’s end-to-end inland container transport presence in the Netherlands and Belgium. Having CTH join ITG further strengthens its position as a leading green intermodal operator.”
Eduard Backer, CEO of ITG said: “We welcome CTH into our group of inland terminals. With the acquisition of CTT Hengelo, CTT Almelo and CTT Rotterdam we add three quality inland terminals to our network and we look forward to working with the CTH organisations and customers. Together we will further strengthen our product offering and ability to further improve the environmental performance of our intermodal container transport.”
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About Infracapital
Infracapital invests in, builds and manages a diverse range of essential infrastructure to meet the changing needs of society and support long-term economic growth. We take an active role in all of our investments, whether nascent or large, to fulfil their potential and ensure they are adaptable and resilient. Our approach creates value for our investors, as we target investments with the scope for stable and sustainable growth. Our portfolio companies work closely with the communities where they are based, to the benefit of all stakeholders. Infracapital is well positioned to deliver the significant investment required to help build the future. The founder-led team of experienced specialists has worked with more than 60 companies around Europe and has raised and managed over €9 billion of client capital across seven funds.
Infracapital is part of M&G Plc, an international savings and investments business, managing money for around 5 million retail customers and more than 800 institutional clients in 26 markets. Total assets under management and administration are £332.8 billion (as at 30 June 2023).
About Inland Terminals Group
Inland Terminals Group connects inland waterways to realise sustainable and efficient container transport. With the benefits of our strong network and over thirty years of experience and expertise, we transport more than 500,000 containers for import and export annually to and from the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. We connect our inland container terminals in the Benelux with barges to these ports. At our terminals, your containers are available on demand. Trucks take care of the last mile from the container to and from your distribution centre or factory.
Inland Terminals Group’s ambition is clear: emission-free inland container transport. As leader in this transition, we continuously work towards solutions that bring us closer to this goal. This includes shore power at our terminals, electric barges and trucks, and wind turbines next to our terminals to supply us with green energy.
The Inland Terminals Group is fully owned by Infracapital.