CEO
Port of Hamburg Marketing
Germany
The German seaports are far more than just transshipment centres for goods - they are indispensable hubs for the country's energy supply and logistics infrastructure. Within the German port’s landscape, the Port of Hamburg is the largest contiguous industrial area in Northern Europe. In an increasingly multipolar world, in which geopolitical tensions and climate change are influencing economic conditions, ports such as Hamburg are increasingly moving to the centre of national and international strategies. This naturally results in challenges and opportunities.
Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine caused Germany to rethink its energy policy. Gas imports from Russia, which had been required and desired up to that point, were stopped. New sources had to be found for the import of gas, which is still needed for Germany's current energy supply. As a result, LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals were built in many northern German seaports within a very short space of time. They are intended to ensure that the energy demand for gas continues to be covered.
At the same time, advancing climate change requires enormous efforts on the part of countries in order to achieve the global warming target of 1.5 degrees set out in the Paris Agreement. This requires a sustainable transformation of the industry and energy infrastructure. The German government has decided to phase out coal as a fossil fuel by 2038. Many coal-fired power plants have already been decommissioned. As a result, the handling of coal in seaports is declining noticeably.
The future belongs to sustainable energy sources
More sustainable energy sources such as hydrogen and its derivatives are on the rise. The German government calculates a need of more than 350 TWh hydrogen per annum as of 2045. These will have to be imported to a large extent by an industrialised country like Germany. Ports are indispensable for this. The transformation in the bulk goods sector has thus begun. In future, for example, significantly more alternative fuels such as those already mentioned will be handled in the Port of Hamburg.
The Port of Hamburg is a prime example of the transition to a more sustainable energy supply. The city of Hamburg has already adopted a harbour development plan for 2040, which also provides for the sustainable use of energy sources such as hydrogen and its derivates. Part of this plan envisages the construction of an electrolyser to produce hydrogen in the port area. However, a large proportion of this hydrogen will be used by the local industry. Additional transport infrastructure must be created in the Hanseatic city for this purpose. This process is just one aspect of the comprehensive transition that is already in full swing in the port economy and local industry.
While an energy transition in the import of goods is slowly becoming apparent, it is already part of everyday life for many companies in the port industry. For example, the largest container terminal operator, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, has set itself the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2040. This has already been achieved at the Container Terminal Altenwerder. Electrically powered and automated container transporters (AGVs) are used to transport containers between the ocean-going vessel and the storage area, for example. Other terminals are currently in the conversion and expansion phase. Projects for greater sustainability are also underway here in many areas.
The transition to a climate-neutral port area
A great deal is also being invested in wind and solar energy in order to move away from fossil fuels. It is a complex process that is not just focussing on the ports in terms of imports. The seaports are thus becoming central components of a sustainable energy infrastructure and a climate-neutral economy. This will also benefit local industry.
International cooperation
However, the importance of German seaports goes far beyond national supply. Seaports such as the Port of Hamburg will continue to play a key role in international trade, supply chains security and energy security, and not just for Germany. The geographical location of the Port of Hamburg is an excellent starting point, particularly for countries bordering the Baltic Sea as well as for Central and Eastern European countries. For many countries in this region, the port provides crucial access to the global market in order to ship their goods and merchandise worldwide.
A core element for the Port of Hamburg is its trimodal connection - whether by water, rail or road. As Europe's largest railway port, there are over 200 train departures and arrivals in Hamburg every day.
Despite these excellent conditions, the Port of Hamburg faces major challenges alongside the other German and European seaports. The complexity of port activities and tasks has grown enormously. Ports are energy hubs, supply the population with goods of all kinds, are critical infrastructure and are an important part of a resilient transport network for Europe.