Port of Hamburg: €1.1B for modernization of container terminal ops

July 14, 2025, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

An investment of about €1.1 billion in the Port of Hamburg’s infrastructure expansion has been unveiled – a move that would secure the port’s competitiveness and pave the way to climate neutrality.

Illustration. Courtesy of Offshore Energy/Navingo

The modernization project will include the enhancement of the Elbe approach to the Waltershofer Hafen and the creation of additional terminal yards. This will make navigation towards the Container Terminals Buchardkai (CTB) and Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH) easier and faster, according to the port.

Around 90 percent of the largest container vessels calling at Hamburg are currently handled at the Waltershofer Hafen. The turning basin will be widened from its current 480 meters to 600 meters. Vessels will have a larger water surface available for turning manoeuvres, ensuring optimal performance and safety. This is expected to enhance navigational safety and operational efficiency for current and future vessel sizes at Hamburg’s busiest container throughput area, while improving navigability and resilience along the River Elbe.

All berths in the Waltershofer Hafen will benefit from this measure, which is expected to increase throughput efficiency, as per the port authority. The creation of additional berths will also improve terminal workflows: going forward, processes can be automated and electrified – a key contribution to decarbonization.

Public funding will cover part of the aforementioned preliminary costs. The infrastructure works are to be completed by the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) by the mid-2030s.

In addition to the public investment, Eurogate has signed a preliminary lease agreement for the new areas and will invest at least €700 million in expanding the existing container terminal, with completion planned within two years of the handover of the newly developed land.

“(W)e are laying the groundwork to ensure that Hamburg is well prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Projects of this magnitude require meticulous planning and long-term implementation. This infrastructure will help ensure that large vessels will be handled reliably and efficiently in the Port of Hamburg. It also strengthens Hamburg’s service capacity and reinforces its role as a key hub on major international shipping routes,” Melanie Leonhard, Hamburg’s Minister for Economic Affairs, commented.

“This project will enhance the performance of the Port of Hamburg and represents a vital investment in its long-term competitiveness. In doing so, we are also laying the groundwork for the next steps towards a climate-neutral port. As a first step, the HPA will update the planning before proceeding with construction, due to finish by mid-2030s,” Jens Meier, CEO of Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), said.

“The urgently needed expansion of the turning basin, along with the enlargement and modernisation of throughput facilities, are key decisions that will help secure a positive future for the Port of Hamburg. With the enlargement and modernisation, we are initiating the transition from manual operations to an automated terminal concept at the Hamburg site,” Tom Eckelmann, Managing Director of EUROKAI and Chairman of the Group Management Board of EUROGATE, highlighted.

“We will design superstructure, heavy equipment, and IT infrastructure, starting with the existing terminal, to support a fully automated throughput system across the entire terminal, including the expansion area. This is fully aligned with our strategic goals of boosting productivity and achieving decarbonisation through complete electrification of throughput equipment.”

To strengthen the Port of Hamburg in its vital role as a supply hub for Germany, the existing port infrastructure must be continuously adapted and optimized. The planned measures are anchored in the Senate’s Port Development Plan and the Hamburg Government’s coalition agreement.

The future terminal areas will remain in public ownership and be leased to Eurogate by the HPA under market-based conditions. These areas will extend the existing CTH and will be fully integrated into the road and rail network. As a contiguous operating space, the site will allow for efficient and sustainable management. This will enable the implementation of modernization measures and an operating concept in which containers are moved using electrically powered, autonomously guided vehicles. This is said to mark a significant step towards achieving climate neutrality by 2040.

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Once the HPA, on behalf of the City of Hamburg, has completed the land development, Eurogate will be responsible for implementing the operational and innovation concept. To create the new port operating area, soil will be excavated from the eastern headland north of the Petroleumhafen and along the Bubendey bank. The existing port basin will then be infilled after being sealed off from the river by a dam.

The existing port basin will then be infilled after being sealed off from the river by a dam. The authorities have already approved the plans, and following the dismissal of all legal challenges, construction of the public infrastructure can proceed.

As public funding is planned for the construction of the public infrastructure, approval from the European Commission is required. This state aid assessment process may take several years. To ensure maximum legal certainty for the chosen procurement approach, the HPA is voluntarily conducting an upstream ex-ante review process, with results expected in 2026.

In related news, Germany’s government recently said it would support climate-neutral shipping and ports with an additional sum of €400 million.

As informed, the funds will be allocated from the country’s Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF) to accelerate the maritime industry’s energy transition. They will be used to implement the National Port Strategy and the National Action Plan for Climate-Friendly Shipping. What is more, the funds are intended to co-finance the construction of shore power and bunkering facilities for alternative fuels and to develop climate-neutral shipping corridors.

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