Ports of Schleswig-Holstein Handle Over 50 Million Tons in 2020

The port location Schleswig-Holstein successfully navigated the Corona crisis of 2020. Approximately 50.2 million tons of cargo were handled and 7 million passengers were processed. The high systemic relevance of the ports is evident in times of crisis. Schleswig-Holstein is the third largest port location in Germany after Hamburg and Bremen. The ports of Schleswig-Holstein are a guarantee for supply security in the Corona year 2020.

(Brunsbüttel) The activities in the Schleswig-Holstein ports were significantly shaped by the Corona pandemic in 2020, just like the entire German port economy. The challenge of a global economic crisis, which has direct effects on ports as important links in the flow of goods and passenger traffic, had to be mastered in the spring, as well as the early establishment and consistent implementation of hygiene and protection concepts to avoid infection-related impacts on operational processes in the ports.

The latter was all the more significant, as the ports had to make a substantial contribution to the system-relevant task of supply security during a pandemic-related crisis. “The ports in Schleswig-Holstein impressively demonstrated their great capacity as critical infrastructure last year. Supply chains could be maintained through the ports, ensuring supply security for people and businesses. This was only possible due to the dedicated efforts and discipline of the employees in the ports,” explains Frank Schnabel in his role as Chairman of the GvSH Board.

Backbone of the Local Economy

Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Transport, Bernd Buchholz, also emphasizes the importance of the ports: “The ports and the entire maritime industry have always been an important backbone of the Schleswig-Holstein economy. They have once again proven this last year despite the unexpected challenges. Especially in times of crisis, the high systemic relevance of individual sectors becomes evident, including the ports and the entire logistics sector,” says Buchholz.

In 2020, a total of 50.2 million tons of cargo were loaded through the Schleswig-Holstein ports. Thus, the total handling volume remains at a consistently high level of over 50 million tons despite the impacts of the Corona pandemic. The moderate change compared to 2019 is only minus 5%, which is low in national and international industry comparisons. “The fact that the ports in Schleswig-Holstein handled over 50 million tons of cargo last year, only slightly less than in the pre-crisis year, is based on various reasons,” explains Schnabel.

Access to Two Seas

“Schleswig-Holstein is, among other things, the only federal state with access to two seas, which means that the functions and orientations of the individual ports vary greatly, resulting in a correspondingly large diversity of handling goods. The ports thus fulfill a significant trade, transport, and service function for Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and Europe,” Schnabel further explains. The high importance of the Schleswig-Holstein ports is also underscored by the fact that the port location Schleswig-Holstein, with 50.2 million tons of cargo, is currently the third largest port location in Germany after the city-states of Hamburg and Bremen and the largest port location compared to the federal states. The port landscape of Schleswig-Holstein is characterized by ferry and RoRo, industrial, breakbulk and bulk, cruise, fishing, island, and canal ports.

In passenger traffic, the number of processed passengers in the Schleswig-Holstein ports last year was around 7 million. The decline of nearly 47% is attributed to the travel restrictions due to Corona, which temporarily suspended passenger traffic in ferry, cruise, and tourism ports.

Additional Value Creation Effects

In addition to the previously described supply and logistics function, the ports generate further value creation effects for the federal state and the respective region. Tourism is the most significant economic sector in Schleswig-Holstein, and particularly the west coast ports of the state are hubs for tourist island traffic. The excursion shipping in the ports on the North and Baltic Seas also contributes to the tourism location Schleswig-Holstein. Furthermore, a multitude of jobs are created and secured in the ports, thereby generating additional value creation effects for the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.

The outlook for 2021 is considered positive according to Schnabel. Especially in the 4th quarter of the previous year, the ports were able to record significantly increasing cargo volumes again, and a beginning normalization of the situation is also expected for passenger traffic in 2021. “We can look to the future with great confidence. The Corona crisis has shown that the ports in Schleswig-Holstein have a solid position in the market, represent a reliable system-relevant infrastructure, and can also successfully withstand crises,” says Schnabel.

Further Measures to Improve the Environmental Balance

Regardless of the current Corona pandemic, concrete measures to improve the environmental balance in shipping are still being implemented in the Schleswig-Holstein ports.

To reduce ship emissions, the ports are taking various measures. For example, the supply of ships with shore power during port stays is already possible in many ports today, and the number of shore power facilities is being further expanded. The necessary power supply for the ships is thus almost emission-free, as the ships can shut down their onboard diesel-powered generators. In addition to reducing emissions during port stays, the reduction of emissions from sailing ships is also on the agenda. On the long road to emission-free shipping, for example with hydrogen, the use of currently available lower-emission fuels such as LNG or methanol as a bridging technology is indispensable. Therefore, the conditions for supplying shipping with alternative fuels are being created in the Schleswig-Holstein ports.

“The Schleswig-Holstein ports are contributing to improving the environmental balance, and we are aware of our responsibility for sustainable and environmentally conscious business practices,” concludes Schnabel.

Photo: © Port of Kiel

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