Port of Koper ('' sl, Luka Koper'', '' it, Porto di Capodistria'') is a
public limited company
A public limited company (legally abbreviated to PLC or plc) is a type of public company under United Kingdom company law, some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the Republic of Ireland. It is a limited liability company ...
, which provides
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
n port, in
Koper
Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...
. It is situated in the northern part of the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
, mainly connecting markets of
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and
Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (al ...
with the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
and
Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
The ter ...
. Unlike other European ports, which are managed by
port authorities
In Canada and the United States, a port authority (less commonly a port district) is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body (or bodies) to operate ports and other t ...
, the activities of Port of Koper comprise the management of the free zone area, the management of the port area and the role of terminal operator. It is currently the main port that serves the route between Adriatic sea and Central Europe.
Business
Terminals of the port
The Port of Koper has 12 specialized terminals:
*
Container
A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping.
Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...
and
Ro-Ro
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or usin ...
Terminal
* Car Terminal
* General cargo Terminal
* Fruit Terminal
*
Timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
Terminal
* Terminal for minerals
* Terminal for cereals and fodder
* Alumina Terminal
* European Energy Terminal
* Liquid Cargoes Terminal
* Livestock Terminal
* Passenger Terminal
The core business covers cargo handling and warehousing services for all types of goods, complemented by a range of additional services for cargo with the aim of providing a comprehensive logistics support for customers. The company manages the commercial zone and provides for the development and maintenance of port infrastructure.
History
Before World War II
From its establishment during the era of the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...
, maritime trade has played an important role in the history and development of Koper. The town received a
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
from
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
Conrad II in the early 11th century, while in the 13th century the
Patriarchs of Aquileia
The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certain ...
granted Koper domain over its northern
Istria
Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian, Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the larges ...
n hinterland. In 1279, Koper was absorbed by the
Venetian Republic
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
, and developed into the pre-eminent commercial and administrative centre of Istria. Following the fall of
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
in 1797, the entire region was absorbed into the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
, and, for a short while, Koper was known as the ''Imperial Austrian Port''.
When
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
and
Rijeka
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
were proclaimed as free ports in 1719, Koper's status, trade, and influence began to ebb. The collapse of the Venetian Republic and the transfer of local administrative and political power to Trieste that followed further hastened this decline. Koper's maritime and commercial stagnation continued, first under Habsburg rule, and then after 1919 under the Italian rule. Despite liberation in 1945, insecurity as to its future continued into the post-war era, during the period of the
Free Territory of Trieste
The Free Territory of Trieste was an independent territory in Southern Europe between northern Italy and Yugoslavia, facing the north part of the Adriatic Sea, under direct responsibility of the United Nations Security Council in the aftermath ...
. Koper's status and long-term future were finally resolved in 1954 through the signing of the London Memorandum of Understanding, by way of which Zone B of the territory—including Koper and Istria—was ceded to
. The partition of the Trieste Free Territory led to mass emigration by ethnic Italians living in Istrian coastal towns. Neglected for more than two centuries, their commercial potential was poor and their industries obsolete, whilst maritime traffic and trade was strictly limited to local needs.
Afterwar period
In investigating new possibilities for the development of
Slovenian Istria
Slovene Istria ( sl, slovenska Istra, it, Istria slovena) is a region in southwest Slovenia. It comprises the northern part of the Istrian peninsula, and it is part of the wider geographical-historical region known as the Slovene Littoral. Its la ...
, a group of enthusiasts began considering the potentials for construction of an international seaport. In 1957, they prepared an investment programme for the development of 135 metres of Koper's northern shore, while 23 May that year saw the foundation of the first handling and warehousing company ''Pristanišče Koper''. Thus the new venture was established, employing local workers whose experience was crucial in the organisation of this new and intrepid undertaking.
By August 1957, the ''Peter Klepec'', a floating
dredger
Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...
had deepened the seabed along the northern shore of town, and concreting the area around the first berth began in December. At the same time, work began on a dyke across the Stanjon inlet, and thus the operative areas of the new port began to take shape by a continuous process of dredging and accumulation. The Port of Koper was eventually permitted to join the Association of Yugoslav Ports ( sl, Združenje jugoslovanskih luk), and in October 1958 received the state consent for its investment programme. At last due recognition was at hand.
The founding of ''Luka Koper''
Despite developing in an era in which imports were rising, it was difficult to attract business away from the established ports in the region, such as nearby
Port of Trieste
The Free Port of Trieste is a port in the Adriatic Sea in Trieste, Italy. It's the most important commercial port of Italy with a trade volume of 62 million tonnes.
It is subdivided into 5 different Free Areas, 3 of which have been allotted to ...
(Italy) and
Port of Rijeka
The Port of Rijeka ( hr, Luka Rijeka, ) is a seaport in Rijeka, Croatia, located on the shore of the Kvarner Gulf in the Adriatic Sea. The first records of the port date to 1281. It was the main port of the History of Hungary 1700–1919, Kingdom ...
(Croatia). But development gradually enhanced the port's competitive edge, as did its openness to prospective users, and this led to increasingly widespread commercial co-operation as well as the establishment of what were to become long-term partnerships between the port and its customers. It was mainly companies trading in foodstuffs and timber - including, amongst others, the national ''Silo and Warehouses Administration, Emona, Slovenijales'' and Centroprom - that decided to co-finance or invest in the construction of the necessary infrastructure.
Based on the resolution of the company's Workers` Council in October 1961, ''Pristanišče Koper'' changed its name to ''Luka Koper'', and operated as a socially owned and managed enterprise. The company's objectives were clear, and by the end of 1962 its integrated operations were functioning efficiently. Development continued with the acquisition of the
Dekani
Dekani (; it, Villa Decani) is a settlement in the City Municipality of Koper in the Littoral region of Slovenia.
Name
''Dekani'' was first attested in written sources in 1328 as ''Decani'' (and in 1423 as ''Villae Canis''). The name is derived ...
cold storage facility and the purchase of disinfection and fruit ripening units. By 1962, annual throughput amounted to 270,000 tonnes. Freight passing through the port was for the most part hauled by road, with a minor portion travelling by rail to
Kozina
Kozina (; it, Cosina) is a settlement in the Municipality of Hrpelje-Kozina in the Littoral region of Slovenia, close to the border with Italy.free zone, ''Luka Koper'' was able to provide a range of services for companies using the port. This new orientation required the reorganisation of the company into six units: Handling,
Warehousing
A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities, tow ...
, Timber, Maintenance, Joint Services and ''Luški dom''.
Era of railway
Accelerated development and operational growth revealed the inadequacy of communications with the
hinterland
Hinterland is a German word meaning "the land behind" (a city, a port, or similar). Its use in English was first documented by the geographer George Chisholm in his ''Handbook of Commercial Geography'' (1888). Originally the term was associated ...
. Various problems pertaining to the co-ordination of rail and road transport between Koper and Kozina increased the
demurrage
The term "demurrage" from Old French ''demeurage'', from ''demeurer'' – to linger, tarry – originated in vessel chartering and referred to the period when the charterer remained in possession of the vessel after the period normally allowed ...
costs of vessels, wagons and trucks. Nevertheless, the freight handled by ''Luka Koper'' continued to rise, and in 1966 amounted to 788,616 tonnes.
Both the Yugoslav as well as the Slovenian authorities did not look favourably to the construction of a rail link for Koper, thus ''Luka Koper'' itself financed the initial study and project documentation. In 1964, following exhaustive negotiations, the company commissioned the scheme, and work on the new railway got underway. Despite financial difficulties and the troublesome terrain, construction work gradually proceeded, and an auspicious and lavish inaugural ceremony on 2 December 1967 marked the commencement of operations on the 31-kilometre line between Koper and Prešnica.
Soon afterwards, provisions adopted by Yugoslavia's Federal Executive Council gave fresh impetus to Luka Koper's development. Namely, foreign companies were allowed to invest in local enterprises active within the port's free zone. The construction of the
Bulk
Bulk can refer to:
Industry
* Bulk cargo
* Bulk liquids
* Bulk mail
* Bulk material handling
* Bulk pack, packaged bulk materials/products
* Bulk purchasing
*
Baking
* Bulk fermentation, the period after mixing when dough is left alone to ferm ...
Liquids Terminal was one such tangible consequence of these provisions.
Foodstuffs still accounted for the majority of cargo passing through Koper. In 1967, the total throughput of tropical fruit amounted to 113,000 tonnes, which placed it top of the list of Yugoslav ports handling such perishables. There was also an increase in transit cargo, in particular for
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
(47,592 tonnes), Austria (15,039 tonnes), Italy (11,369 tonnes), Switzerland (1,680 tonnes), as well as Bulgaria, Romania and the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
(with an aggregate total of 12,479 tonnes). Between 1968 and 1977 the development of the Port of Koper was exclusively dependent on indigenous resources, namely the company's own profits and raised loans. A high degree of indebtedness in conjunction with rapid development led to a number of economic and operational difficulties.
A leap in growth in the late 1960s
The most important investment in 1968 was the construction of the liquid fuels terminal, which began operations in November of that year. Indeed,
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
derivatives saw the greatest rates of annual growth over the ensuring years. The railway was now proving itself to be an excellent investment, and even more ardent opponents to the project were finally forced to admit its worth. As a result of favourable public opinion and excellent performance, the Koper line was officially incorporated into the national rail network. At the same time the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
committed itself to an interest-rate
subsidy
A subsidy or government incentive is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from the government, the ter ...
on loans raised for the development of port infrastructure, an action which greatly relieved the company's debt burden, particularly as regards the financing of the railway and port infrastructure. Accelerated development, and the large liabilities accrued through such ceaseless investment, affected
cash flow
A cash flow is a real or virtual movement of money:
*a cash flow in its narrow sense is a payment (in a currency), especially from one central bank account to another; the term 'cash flow' is mostly used to describe payments that are expected ...
and
solvency
Solvency, in finance or business, is the degree to which the current assets of an individual or entity exceed the current liabilities of that individual or entity. Solvency can also be described as the ability of a corporation to meet its long-ter ...
. Employment conditions deteriorated, which led to a large turnover in personnel: 703 new workers were employed in 1969, while 490 also left the company. Due to the shortage of domestic labour, workers were brought in from other Yugoslav Republics. All of these conditions concerted negatively on Luka Koper's operations, and the countermeasures adopted ameliorated the situation only slightly.
Cargo throughput growth prior to 1970
Annual maritime cargo throughput surpassed the one-million-tonnes threshold for the first time in 1968; just two years later the quantity was nearly two million tonnes. In addition to petroleum derivatives, general cargo throughput also increased, which can mainly be attributed to the revival of Slovenian trade and commerce.
The Port of Koper began operations by handling a variety of cargo, in particular fruit, timber, wheat and fodder, general cargos and
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
. Initially, imports accounted for more than half of throughput, and a mere ten percent were Slovenian exports. The balance was accounted for by transit goods destined to the countries of
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...
.
Cargo throughput growth 1970 - 1980
The 1970s witnessed a slow-down in rises in cargo throughput; the growth rate averaged 2.6 percent per annum, which resulted in an increase of less than thirty percent over the decade. This deceleration was a consequence of the high degree of
corporate
A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and re ...
indebtedness, labour cost rises and organisational instability.
From this period on, Luka Koper began to increasingly specialise and concentrate on certain types of cargo. The volume of timber throughput rose, whilst mineral and ore cargo shipments became ever more frequent. In addition to petroleum, other liquid cargos, such as chemicals, wine and vegetable oil were also handled.
Containers
A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping.
Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...
and
RO-RO
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or usin ...
were crucial innovations of the 1970s for which a specialised terminal came on stream in 1979.
In this era, half of cargo handled, not including petroleum derivatives, pertained to the domestic market of which imports accounted for 35 percent, and exports 15 percent of total. The other half was transit cargo pertaining to Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Austria.
Cargo throughput growth 1980 - 1990
The 1980s were an extremely significant period in the development of Luka Koper; total throughput more than doubled, while the range of capacities were extended to those which the port has to this day. Alumina imports commenced in 1990, while dry
bulk cargo
Bulk cargo is commodity cargo that is transported unpackaged in large quantities.
Description
Bulk cargo refers to material in either liquid or granular, particulate form, as a mass of relatively small solids, such as petroleum/ crude oi ...
s increased eightfold over the decade.
In addition, the 1980s witnessed the first major shipment of cars, a trade which - over the years - was to develop into one of the most important areas of business. The second half of the decade was characterised by considerable down-turns in raw timber and fruit throughput, which was due mainly to the more widespread introduction of
containerisation
Containerization is a system of intermodal freight transport using intermodal containers (also called shipping containers and ISO containers). Containerization is also referred as "Container Stuffing" or "Container Loading", which is the pro ...
.
The proportion of transit freight rose throughout the 1980s, and bulk cargos for Austria particularly so. By 1990, Koper's total business, with Hungary and Czechoslovakia each still holding some 10 percent.
Cargo throughput growth 1990 - 2000
The final few years of the 20th century were marked by dynamic growth, underpinned by an up-turn in the
Slovenian economy
The economy of Slovenia is a developed economy, and the country enjoys a high level of prosperity and stability as well as above-average GDP per capita by purchasing power parity at 83% of the EU28 average in 2015. Nominal GDP in 2022 is 62. ...
. The late 1990s marked a particularly successful period of development for Luka Koper, while between 1990 and 2000 cargo throughput increased by over 70 percent, i.e. some 8 percent per annum.
By 2000, ''Luka Koper'' was again handling 300,000 tonnes of timber per annum. And while petroleum derivates volume reached three-fold the level they had been in the early 1990s, the company actively capped the commensurate growth that was occurring in
iron ore
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
and
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
traffic. Vehicle throughput increased seventeenfold in a mere decade. The late 1990s also saw the upgrade of livestock operations. Although growth in container freight continued, it only increased by twenty percent over the decade, which for the most part was a consequence of the unstable political and economic situation experienced in many of the hinterland states during the early 1990s.
The 1990s also saw the creation of a cargo market structure that persists to this day. Some one-third of all traffic was attributable to Slovenian domestic market, while the countries of the European hinterland of Koper accounted for the remainder. By 2000, Austria was placed first with over two million tonnes of goods per annum, while Italy accounted for a significant ten percent of total.
Cargo throughput growth 2000–2006
From 2000 to 2006, the throughput in container traffic, vehicles, timber, liquid cargoes (excluding petroleum), and cereals, have all doubled, while general cargo has increased by over 50 percent.
The most intensive growth was recorded in trade with
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
, which surpassed a million tonnes in 2006. Nevertheless, Austrian clients—with 3.5 million tonnes, or a quarter of total throughput—still top the transit freight list, whilst trade with Italy, which now accounts for 15 percent of business, also grew rapidly. The domestic market generated some 30 percent of turnover. The throughput has increased in average for 7 percent annually.
During 2006, cargo throughput almost reached saturation level due to the limitations posed by the single-line rail link with the national network. Over recent years the growth in container freight and vehicles has been of particular importance to the prosperity of ''Luka Koper'', and shall remain among the company's key strategic development orientations over the coming decade.
References
Jakomin, Livio ''et al.'': Luka Koper - 50 Years-for New Horizons. Koper: Luka Koper.
Koper
Koper (; it, Capodistria, hr, Kopar) is the fifth largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, approximately five kilometres () south of the border with Italy and 20 kilometres () from Triest ...