Climate friendly logistic chains

HHLA’s business model of linking two environmentally advantageous modes of transport, ships and trains, to create climate-friendly logistics chains is its most important contribution towards sustainability as well as climate and environmental protection. This is also underlined by the EU Taxonomy Regulation, in force since 2021, which classifies HHLA’s primary activities as taxonomy-aligned. HHLA and its rail subsidiary METRANS link the Northern European and Adriatic ports with Central and Eastern Europe via a highly efficient intermodal network. The linkage of ocean-going vessels with feeders, inland waterway ships, barges and rail requires nothing less than the organisation of ideal multimodal transport chains. These transport chains save energy and infrastructure while causing comparatively little noise and fewer accidents. Hamburg’s location deep inland is a further advantage, as the river Elbe is an environmentally friendly transport route.

HHLA also integrates other stakeholders into its creation of climate-friendly logistics chains. As the central, neutral and industry-wide coordination point for mega-ship, feeder and inland waterway vessel traffic in the Port of Hamburg, the Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center (HVCC) offers terminals and shipping companies operational coordination services to optimise the emissions of arriving and departing ships.

As part of the Landstrom in Hamburg (LiH) project, the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) plans and constructs facilities for supplying container ships with shore-side electricity at HHLA’s Burchardkai and Tollerort container terminals. HHLA supports this project by allowing its existing facility components to be used for a fee, coordinating construction workflows and making its space available. When the project is complete, three shore-side electricity connection points will be available at the Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB), and one at the Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT). The planning for shore-side connection points at the Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) has commenced.

With its HHLA Pure product, HHLA offers its customers container transport and container handling services that have been certified as climate neutral according to TÜV Nord Standard TN-CC-020 at all Hamburg container terminals and most routes in the METRANS network.