Annual Report 2023

Climate-friendly logistic chains

Audit with limited assurance

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, in particular, 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. These multimodal transport chains save energy while causing comparatively little noise and fewer accidents. Hamburg’s location deep inland is a further advantage, as the river Elbe is an economically and environmentally favourable 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, Tollerort and Altenwerder 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 construction of three shore-side connection points at the Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) has commenced. Furthermore, an initial ship integration test was successfully completed at CTT. As part of the test in October 2023, the COSCO SHIPPING Taurus was supplied with shore-side electricity for the first time.

With its HHLA Pure product, HHLA offers its customers climate-neutral container transport and handling – certified in accordance with TÜV-Nord standard TN-CC-020 – for all Hamburg container terminals and most routes in the METRANS network. Certified climate neutrality

EU Taxonomy
The EU taxonomy is a legally binding classification system that defines which economic activities of a company are considered sustainable. This is linked to specific requirements for the performance of business activities and the calculation methods of various key figures. The aim is to channel more investment into sustainable companies and technologies and thus support the European Union's 2050 climate neutrality target.
Feeder/Feeder ship
Vessels which carry smaller numbers of containers to ports. From Hamburg, feeders are primarily used to transport boxes to the Baltic region.
Intermodal/Intermodal systems
Transportation via several modes of transport (water, rail, road) combining the specific advantages of the respective carriers.
Terminal
In maritime logistics, a terminal is a facility where freight transported by various modes of transport is handled.

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