Hamburg Port Authority - Experts & Thought Leaders

The hybrid police boat WS1 ‘Bürgermeister Brauer’ was officially welcomed in the Port of Hamburg. After a construction period of almost two years at the Estonian shipyard Baltic Workboats AS, the boat was transferred by sea to Germany and will start its service with the Hamburg water police next year. In the presence of the Senator for Economics and Labour, Dr Melanie Leonhard, the 29.4-metre-long police boat with environmentally friendly plug-in hybrid drive docked at the Überseebrücke. Also on board were Jens Meier, CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority, Karsten Schönewald, CEO of the Hamburg Fleet, and Olaf Hagenloch, Deputy Head of the Hamburg Water Police. Sea trials and crew training The new boat will replace the aging coastal patrol boat of the same name in service at present next year Particular mention should be made of the powerful 2 x 500 kW electric motors, which enable a minimum of two hours of travel at seven knots on electric power alone. Once the sea trials and crew training have been completed, the new boat will replace the aging coastal patrol boat of the same name in service at present next year. The new WS1 marks the start of the renewal of the Hamburg police boat fleet. Shortly, the new WS3 ‘Bürgermeister Weichmann,’ a slightly smaller, similar-built vessel, will reach Hamburg and, together with the WS1, will undergo the commissioning phase with crew training. Promotion of sustainable technologies A third vessel, identical to the larger WS1, is to be delivered in the course of 2025. The Hamburg fleet is pursuing the idea of a type of vessel that, on the one hand, draws on proven ship designs but, on the other hand, is precisely tailored to the needs of the Hamburg water police. The Port of Hamburg is actively pursuing a transition towards greater climate neutrality with the aim of becoming climate-neutral by 2040. The promotion of sustainable technologies and energy sources plays a central role in this. Use of hybrid watercraft The use of hybrid watercraft by the water police is a further measure to reduce emissions Since 2017, the Fleet Hamburg has been pooling its municipal watercraft and has already made significant progress. The use of hybrid watercraft by the water police is a further measure to reduce emissions. Hamburg's Senator for Economic Affairs, Dr. Melanie Leonhard, said: "We are reducing emissions by using modern technologies – the new ships in the Hamburg fleet are protecting the climate by using advanced technology in the Port of Hamburg. This brings us one step closer to achieving our climate targets and reduces our dependence on fossil fuels." Low-emission propulsion technologies Karsten Schönewald, CEO of Flotte Hamburg: "With the introduction of the first hybrid police boat in the Port of Hamburg, we are taking an important step towards a sustainable future for watercraft. We are proud to equip the water police with low-emission propulsion technologies and thus actively contribute to reducing emissions in our city." Olaf Hagenloch, deputy head of the water police: "With this new vessel, the Hamburg water police will continue to carry out their duties in the Port of Hamburg, on the Lower Elbe and in German territorial waters with their usual professionalism and high quality. The fact that this is now being done with an environmentally friendly propulsion system underlines the compatibility of environmental protection and the performance of water police duties." Technical data Length overall: 29.4 m Beam overall: 7.4 m Maximum draught: 2.2 m Maximum speed: > 25 kn Electric speed: > 12 kn Special features Hybrid drive with 2 hours of battery-electric driving time Synthetic environmentally friendly fuel GTL Wave-piercing bow for a particularly smooth ride in rough seas Automatic trim system for more comfort and reduced fuel consumption

At 5.8 million TEU, container throughput at the Port of Hamburg remained at almost the same level year-on-year during the first nine months of 2024. Throughput of loaded containers saw slight growth, alongside an increase in general cargo. “Rail forwarding, a cornerstone of sustainable transport, also developed positively in the first nine months. As Europe’s largest rail port, we attach great importance to the expansion of rail transport. Container transport in this segment rose by 2.7 percent and the Port of Hamburg also gained ground in terms of total rail tonnage”, says Axel Mattern, Member of the Executive Board of Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM). Attacks by Houthi militias The weak German economy continues to impact total throughput at the port However, the weak German economy continues to impact total throughput at the port. The tense political circumstances with the war in Ukraine and the attacks by Houthi militias in the Red Sea merely exacerbate this situation.  Total seaborne cargo throughput fell by 3.0 percent and stood at 84.0 million tonnes in the period from January to September 2024. Varying status of container throughput At 5.1 million TEU, loaded container throughput grew by 0.2 percent in a year-on-year comparison. By contrast, the throughput of empty containers slumped by 4.6 percent to 722,000 TEU. Overall container throughput was 5.8 million TEU (−0.4 percent). Container throughput by tonnes – 58.2 million or −0.1 percent – therefore reached almost the same level as in the previous year.  A larger number of western ports were used as transshipment hubs for Asia-Mediterranean volumes due to the temporary rerouting of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope. Hamburg did not benefit from this positive effect in container throughput. The conventional general cargo segment again offered a silver lining. With its considerable potential for value-added, this segment grew by 3.7 percent to 904,000 tonnes. Bulk goods continue to show mixed trends Throughput of grab cargo amounted to 13.5 million tonnes overall (−7.7 percent) Throughput of bulk cargo at the Port of Hamburg experienced a slight recovery over the course of the year. It stood at 24.9 million tonnes (−9.3 percent) after the first nine months. The decline had been 12.1 percent at the halfway point in the year.  The drop in coal throughput resulting from the shutdown of some power plants remained a noticeable factor. Throughput of grab cargo amounted to 13.5 million tonnes overall (−7.7 percent).  Imports of oilseeds For suction cargo or agribulk, with a throughput of 4.8 million tonnes (−4.1 percent), the export of animal feed stood out positively with 1.0 million tonnes and an increase of 7.8 percent. Imports of oilseeds also improved by 2.8 percent to 2.3 million tonnes. Liquid cargo throughput dropped by 15.6 percent to 6.6 million tonnes, despite a 34.6 percent surge in petroleum product exports, which reached 1.3 million tonnes. Stable ranking of trade partners The second-strongest partner country recorded an increase of 7.6 percent to 520,000 TEU Accounting for a throughput of 1.6 million TEU, China has remained the strongest partner country in the period from January to September 2024. Trade with the United States is growing as well. The second-strongest partner country recorded an increase of 7.6 percent to 520,000 TEU. Trade with Brazil also rose by 2.6 percent to 124,000 TEU. Registering growth of 3.5 percent and throughput of 81.000 TEU, Mexico was another positive example. In addition, seaborne trade with Poland (4th place) experienced a positive development with an increase of 16.0 percent and a volume of 232,000 TEU. Malaysia (9th place) was another pleasing example with 144,000 TEU and a rise of 29.8 percent. More vessels calling Hamburg Ship calls with capacity for container cargo in the Port of Hamburg were up 0.3 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2024. Moderate and small vessel sizes experienced a positive development. Container transport by rail in seaport-hinterland transport grew by 2.7 percent in the first nine months of this year, reaching 2.0 million TEU. Benefits of rail transport Total tonnage reached 35.1 million tonnes, representing a year-on-year growth of 1.4 percent. “These figures underscore the high performance and environmental benefits of rail transport." "Despite poor weather conditions, technical challenges and workforce shortages, rail remains on the path to success”, emphasises Mattern.

Many visitors to the joint stand of the Port of Hamburg and Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) during the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai are interested in the green transformation of supply chains. The change towards more sustainable logistics can only succeed at the international level. Accordingly, the Port of Hamburg is presenting itself at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai 2024 under the motto ‘Sustainable Development in the Context of the Energy Transition’.  Local presence "For years, the Chinese market has been the largest for the Port of Hamburg. China is Hamburg's top customer with a container throughput of over two million TEU per year," says Volker Werner, Director of Sales at HHLA. "To further strengthen our valued relationships and establish new ones, it is essential for us to maintain a local presence." All-Purpose Port As part of its sustainable transformations, the port is increasingly becoming an international hub As Germany's largest All-Purpose Port, the Port of Hamburg is characterised not only by its sustainable rail connections to Central and Southeastern European markets. As part of its sustainable transformations, the port is increasingly becoming an international energy hub. This was also one of the key topics at the 5th German Logistics Roundtable, which the Hamburg Liaison Office (HLO) organised on behalf of Port of Hamburg Marketing, HHLA, TSIT, and DB Cargo Transasia during the trade fair. With over 60 guests, this roundtable was also well attended.  Sustainability "The strong interest from guests at our exhibition stand and the roundtable demonstrates that we are on the right track with our focus on sustainability at CIIE," says Axel Mattern, CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM).  "In this context, we can work with our partners to define and develop sustainable supply chains." Green shipping corridor The MoU was signed during the North Bund Forum 2024 for International Shipping and Aviation in October The recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), COSCO Shipping Lines Co., Ltd., and Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd. to establish a green shipping corridor shows how close relations with Chinese ports like Shanghai already are. The MoU was signed during the North Bund Forum 2024 for International Shipping and Aviation in October, to make the shipping industry more environmentally friendly and reduce its carbon footprint, while also promoting the sustainable development of global maritime transport.  Warehouse and transport logistics services However, the Port of Hamburg’s relationship with the Port of Shanghai goes back much further. As early as 2004, the two ports signed a Sister Port Agreement. The opportunities offered by the Port of Hamburg are also presented by the Hamburg exhibitors at the joint stand. The exhibitors include HHM, HLO, HHLA, and the newcomer TSIT, who offer bonded warehouse and transport logistics services in Europe.