Container segment

In the first six months of 2026, there was a significant decrease in container throughput at HHLA’s container terminals. Compared to the same period last year, it fell by 6.7 % to 2,959 thousand standard containers (TEU) (previous year: 3,172 thousand TEU).

Throughput volume at the Hamburg container terminals was down 7.3 % year-on-year at 2,786 thousand TEU (previous year: 3,006 thousand TEU). In addition to the weak start to the year due to adverse weather conditions, throughput was impacted by the ongoing modernisation measures at the Hamburg container terminals. Further headwinds arose from geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the resulting adjustments to international transport and goods flows. Moreover, the development of individual shipping regions continued to be shaped by service- and customer-related shifts resulting from changing alliances. For example, there was a decline in overseas traffic volumes in the shipping regions North America and the Far East, especially China. These effects were only partially offset by additional throughput volumes from the Australia and Middle East shipping regions, as well as from traffic with other European seaports – primarily Germany, the Netherlands and France.

Volumes for feeder traffic also decreased significantly year-on-year. In particular, traffic from Scandinavia, Lithuania and the United Kingdom fell significantly. By contrast, cargo volumes from Germany, the Netherlands and Poland were up. The proportion of seaborne handling by feeders was 19.5 % (previous year: 19.6 %).

Meanwhile, the international container terminals reported a 4.6 % rise in throughput volume to 173 thousand TEU (previous year: 165 thousand TEU). This was largely due to the strong increase in seaborne handling at Container Terminal Odessa (CTO). By contrast, seaborne handling volumes were down at the multifunctional terminals HHLA TK Estonia and HHLA PLT Italy. The reasons for this decline included the difficult economic situation in Estonia, as well as re-routings in the Mediterranean as a result of geopolitical tensions.

Despite declining volumes, Container segment revenue was virtually unchanged with year-on-year growth of 0.1 % in the reporting period to € 426.6 million (previous year: € 426.2 million) due to additional storage fees from longer dwell times. The volume and revenue growth at HHLA’s international container terminals also had a positive effect.

Compared to the first half of 2025, there was a net increase in operating expenses and other operating income (together defined as EBIT costs) of 6.8 %. This was mainly the result of a significant rise in personnel expenses, due to union-negotiated wage settlements and the additional deployment of personnel from the GHB pool. Moreover, modernisation measures and the introduction of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) at Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB) impacted productivity and led to additional expenses. Depreciation and amortisation also rose strongly, due mainly to the commissioning of new large-scale equipment and the workshop at CTB. Despite the fall in volumes, the cost of materials was up slightly. This was largely the result of higher fuel costs caused by the escalation of the Middle-East conflict. Measures to safeguard earnings at the Hamburg container terminals had an opposing effect.

Burdened by significantly increased expenses, the operating result (EBIT) fell by 59.9 % to € 17.2 million (previous year: € 42.8 million). There was a significant decline in the EBIT margin of 6.0 percentage points to 4.0 % (previous year: 10.0 %).

HHLA remains committed to the modernisation of its Hamburg container terminals and investments in climate-friendly and forward-looking terminal technology.

A total of 20 battery-powered electric tractor units are now in use at Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) and the necessary charging infrastructure is fully available. Electrification of the hinterland fleet is thus now complete. The automation of a rail gantry crane commenced as part of the IHATEC project “Containerterminal 4.0” is still in the testing and integration phase. The fifth rail gantry crane was put into operation in the second quarter of 2026. In addition, the first batch of three new dual-trolley container gantry cranes was transferred to operations in April 2026. The stabilisation phase is currently underway. Following delivery of the second batch, three more container gantry cranes are now being assembled. Orders for the third and fourth batches have already been placed. The necessary dismantling of further ZPMC container gantry cranes in preparation for the assembly of the third batch has been completed.

At CTB, preparatory work was carried out on blocks 28 and 29 of the warehouse crane system. AGV handling is operational and has been extended to berths 3 and 4. In addition, the workshop building that was constructed as part of the AGV project has been put into operation. The acquisition of a new container gantry crane for berths 1 and 2 is slated for the second half of the year.

At Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT), an advance payment has been made for eight hybrid van carriers currently under construction. Their delivery is scheduled for the fourth quarter of the current financial year. Moreover, handling areas for Airbus aircraft components have also been expanded. As a result, handling capacities for these complex cargo items have doubled.