Port of Hamburg - 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

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft (HHLA AG) will continue to be majority-owned by the City of Hamburg and will be further developed together with the new major shareholder Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world's largest container shipping company. Following the approval of the Hamburg parliament and the EU Commission, all closing conditions have now been met with the approval of the Ukrainian merger control authority. Shares in HHLA AG The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg will hold around 69% of the listed shares in HHLA AG, up from 50.1% As previously announced, the transaction will be completed by the end of 2024. MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has acquired shares from shareholders through a tender offer and on the open market and will also acquire part of the shares previously held by Hamburg.  The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg will hold around 69 percent of the listed shares in HHLA AG, up from 50.1 percent. As with Hamburg Airport, the company will be managed under municipal control, but with the expertise of a private sector partner. Strategic partner for HHLA Dr. Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economics and Innovation, said: "Our port is an important location for international logistics in Germany and Europe. HHLA will continue to provide reliable services for all customers of the Port of Hamburg. However, in order to continue to fulfil its functions for Hamburg and its hinterland, we need to further develop and modernise the port." "With its expertise in maritime logistics, Mediterranean Shipping Company will be a strategic partner for HHLA in the necessary further development. After extensive consultation and review, all authorities and institutions involved have now determined that there are no legal concerns and that the transaction can be implemented as agreed." Future viability of HHLA Dr. Andreas Dressel, Senator for Finance: "Everything has been thoroughly examined, discussed and weighed up. All commitments will be honoured: The City of Hamburg will retain its majority shareholding in HHLA through our group holding company, HGV. Key agreements have been contractually agreed, including employee co-determination. The proceeds from the transaction and a capital increase by MSC will enable substantial investments of almost half a billion euros in the modernisation and future viability of HHLA, without us having to use additional taxpayers' money." "The partnership must and will now prove itself in practice over the next few years. In the interest of the Port of Hamburg, we should all respect the democratically made decision and wish the partnership every success in terms of value creation and jobs." Long-standing partnership Soren Toft, CEO of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, said: "We are delighted that the transaction is now close to a successful conclusion. Together with the City of Hamburg as majority shareholder, we will support HHLA and the Port of Hamburg to return to a growth path." "As part of our long-standing partnership, we will further strengthen our presence in Hamburg and provide HHLA with additional equity to invest in the modernisation of its infrastructure." Further development of HHLA AG Hamburg and MSC announced a strategic partnership for the further development of HHLA AG On 13 September, Hamburg and MSC announced a strategic partnership for the further development of HHLA AG. The aim of the partnership is to create a strong basis for the sustainable further development of HHLA.  The Port of Hamburg will become an important hub in MSC's global shipping and intermodal network, strengthening its position as a pioneering North-West European trade hub. As part of the agreement, MSC will significantly increase its cargo throughput at HHLA's terminals in Hamburg from 2025. Invest in HHLA From 2031, MSC will handle a minimum volume of 1,000,000 TEUs in Hamburg. Even before the transaction, the shipping line had brought additional liner services to Hamburg. MSC will also locate its new German headquarters for several hundred employees in Hamburg and invest in HHLA. The conditions for completion included merger control clearance of the transaction by the European Commission and the relevant authorities in Georgia, Tunisia and Ukraine, the latter due to the terminal operated by HHLA in Odessa. Strategic partnership In addition, subsidy control approval had to be obtained from the European Commission and foreign trade approval from the competent authorities in Italy, Slovenia, Romania and Denmark. Further steps to implement the strategic partnership will not be taken until the transaction has been completed.

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.