Hamburg takes the next step
The big story for the Port of Hamburg at the beginning of 2022 is the fairway adjustment, where the second stage was initiated at the end of January. The widening of the fairway to 385 m will make it easier for mega-ships of over 18,000 teu to meet, the number of which rose to over 220 units in 2021.
Today, mega-ships can take 2,400 teu more cargo on the Elbe River. Seaborne cargo throughput of 128.7 million t (+2% vs. 2020, -5.8% vs. 2019 with 136.6 million t) and container throughput of 8.7 million teu (+2.2% vs. 2020, -6.5% vs. 2019 with 9.3 million teu) showed a clear recovery.
Transhipment with 3.3 million teu also grew by 2.2%. Axel Mattern, executive director of Hafen Hamburg Marketing, underlined that the 7.7 million loaded teu represented a special achievement in a period of high empty container throughput.
In the modal split of hinterland traffic, Hamburg maintained its record share of 51.5%, while inland shipping lost significantly. The impact of the latest sanctions against Russia on the port, where 260 companies are involved in Ukraine transports, among others, remains to be seen. In 2014, Hamburg lost 300,000 teu in the exchange of goods with Russia in the wake of the Crimea crisis. (cd)