Three Highly Automated Container Cranes for Terminal Altenwerder

The Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has received three new, highly automated container cranes. These innovative, remotely operated cranes are the first of their kind in the Port of Hamburg. HHLA’s goal is to further increase efficiency in the handling of container ships in the future.

(Hamburg) The container cranes arrived on Saturday, December 14, 2024, aboard the specialized ship “ZHONG REN 121” at the CTA. They were delivered partially assembled by Liebherr from Ireland. With a total height of up to 120 meters when raised and a boom length of around 70 meters, they can handle ships with up to 16,000 standard containers (TEU). By the end of December, the cranes will be installed at the quay of berth 1 at the CTA and will be gradually put into operation. In the coming years, the total of 14 container cranes at the CTA will be completely replaced by highly automated models. The manufacturing of the next three container cranes has already begun, and they are expected to arrive at the CTA in 2026.

Investment Strengthens Competitiveness

Angela Titzrath, CEO of HHLA: “The arrival of the first remotely operated container cranes marks a significant advancement in modernizing our terminals in the Port of Hamburg. With this investment, we strengthen the competitiveness of our facilities and lay the foundation to continue offering top performance to our customers in the future. Since its inception, the CTA has set industry standards and is once again making a statement for innovation and efficiency.”

The new cranes set benchmarks in technical innovation and efficiency. Ships will be handled at the CTA even faster and more smoothly in the future. The cranes will be operated in a semi-automated and remotely controlled manner, allowing the container crane operators to monitor and control them from a modern remote control station in the office building. During the loading and unloading of ships, employees will also have access to comprehensive automation support. Furthermore, the cranes are equipped with an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system that digitally and automatically captures the containers. This enables automatic matching with the already digitally pre-reported container information.

Forward-Looking Change in Terminal Technology

Rebecca Vick, Director of Container Development Hamburg: “The introduction of this innovative container crane technology at the CTA represents a forward-looking change in terminal technology. With this advancement of the terminal, we aim to make our processes even more efficient and to further increase the level of automation, thereby sustainably and securely positioning the terminal for the future.”

Patrick Krawutschke, Managing Director of CTA: “In addition, we continuously invest in the further development and qualification of our employees. Therefore, we accompany the introduction of the new, innovative crane technology with comprehensive qualification measures and look forward to successfully integrating the new cranes into operational operations together with our team.”

Training in Realistic Simulation

A central element of the qualification is training in a realistic simulation environment. The simulator developed for this purpose is being created as part of the DigiRemote2030 project. The commissioning of the cranes will take place gradually throughout 2025. Initially, the drives of the cranes will be put into operation, followed by the automation functions and remote control. In parallel, the container cranes will be extensively tested. Additionally, adjustments to the IT system and integration into the terminal control system at the CTA are necessary.

Photo: © Raetzke/HHLA