12 July 2023 (Lloyd's List) - THE Hamburg senate has endorsed a new development plan for the city’s port that lays down strategic guidelines for policy, defines the availability of land development and outlines the “strategic orientation” for its future use.

“Hamburg is and will remain Germany’s largest seaport,” said senator of economics and innovation Melanie Leonhard. “This is of fundamental importance for the economic strength of Germany as an exporting economy and for supply chain security at national and European level. We shall continue to operate a large, efficient universal seaport that serves these aims.”

But cargo handling was not an end in itself and container numbers were only an indicator of success, but not the only relevant factor.

“Unlike other ports, Hamburg is itself a significant market and industrial base,” Leonhard said. “Goods on arrival are not only transhipped, but also consumed or further processed.“

To remain competitive, the port needed to adapt to global trends, local operating conditions, and both social and economic developments. The port development plan defines guidelines for the required transformation processes and lists areas for action.

These include harnesses “global mega-trends” such as digitalisation, climate protection, the circular economy and e-commerce to extend the port’s position.

“The Port of Hamburg should continue in future to be notable for a variegated range of services, from cargo handling, via its broad industrial base and efficient logistics, to cruise shipping,” the senate said.

Attention is given to the port railway network and the rail infrastructure with the hinterland that makes Hamburg a “pioneer of the climate-considerate transformation” of freight traffic.

From 2040, the port should be climate-neutral in its operations, while the expansion of shore power-supply for vessels will reduce emissions of harmful pollutants.

“We will continue strengthening our port’s function as a value added centre and maritime logistics hub,” Leonard said.

“The global environment makes major advances on digitalization, efficiency and climate neutrality necessary. Our port is already now more essential than ever. In the next few decades we will require large quantities of renewable, rather than fossil, sources of energy. These will reach Hamburg via the port that we are now remodelling to be the driving force for the energy transition.”

Maritime logistics would therefore play an essential part in climate-friendly transport and decarbonisation of society as a whole, she added.