Hamburg, 7 February 2023 – The municipality of Helgoland has commissioned HPC Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) to carry out a concept study for the construction of a hydrogen bunker station on the deep-sea island.  The study will require HPC to investigate the commercial and infrastructural suitability of the island as a potential location for H2 fuel supply for shipping traffic on the North Sea.  

Driven by international sustainability goals and efforts to significantly reduce climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions caused by shipping, ship owners are looking to power their vessels using alternative fuels.  While the use of LNG-powered container ships has already become standard, the market is looking for renewable alternatives with long-term potential. Current research focuses on methanol, ammonia and hydrogen drives to replace conventional marine diesel fuels.

So that alternatively powered ships can be employed on a large scale, a corresponding bunker infrastructure must be available in ports. The island of Helgoland is frequented in particular by crew transfer vessels (CTVs), passenger and research ships and recreational craft. At the same time, green hydrogen from the AquaPrimus project will be available on Helgoland in the future.

“Taking into account the good availability of green hydrogen in the area of the island, we would like to examine the extent to which Helgoland can also reliably provide a supply for ships calling there in the future,” says Christoph Tewis, project manager for AquaCore and the TransHyDE project Helgoland.

The concept study carried out by HPC includes, on the one hand, evaluating the market potential of alternative fuels for island shipping with the aim of estimating the potential demand. Taking the local framework conditions into consideration, various refuelling concepts for hydrogen are then examined. Another focus is to investigate the conditions and prerequisites for the possible location of a hydrogen bunkering station with reference to suitable plans to ensure the logistics of supplying the fuel. In addition to evaluating and recommending such plans, the study will include initial estimates of the necessary investments.

“The results of the study will better enable the municipality of Helgoland and its partners to make an investment decision based on realistic costs,” says Patrick Specht, Head of Sustainability at HPC.

HPC is already credited with carrying out various national and international innovative energy projects for ship technologies and port infrastructure, including the preparation of a test centre for fuel cell vehicles in the port context for a Hamburg terminal operator.

The concept study for a hydrogen bunker station on Helgoland is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the hydrogen lead project TransHyDe. One of three hydrogen lead projects of the Ministry, TransHyDE supports the goals of the National Hydrogen Strategy, which was adopted by the Federal Government in 2020. The hydrogen lead projects involve the research and development of new technologies and application solutions for the production, storage and transport of green hydrogen.

For more information on port advisory services, please visit the website: www.hamburgportconsulting.com

About HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting operates as a logistics consulting company, specialising in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since its establishment in 1976, the Hamburg-based consulting company has delivered more than 1,750 projects across 135 countries spanning six continents, along the entire port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, breakbulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

HPC erstellt Konzeptstudie für eine Wasserstoff-Bunkerstation auf der Hochseeinsel Helgoland

Hamburg, 7. Februar 2023 – Die Gemeinde Helgoland hat HPC Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) mit einer Konzeptstudie für die Errichtung einer Wasserstoff-Bunkerstation auf der Hochseeinsel Helgoland beauftragt. HPC wird die kommerzielle und infrastrukturelle Eignung der Insel als Standort für die H2-Kraftstoffversorgung der Schiffsverkehre auf der Nordsee untersuchen. 

Befördert durch internationale Nachhaltigkeitsziele sowie die Bestrebung, den klimaschädlichen Kohlendioxidausstoß der Schifffahrt signifikant zu reduzieren, entwickeln die Reeder alternative Lösungen zum Antrieb ihrer Schiffe. Während LNG-betriebene Containerschiffe bereits serienmäßig eingesetzt werden, sucht der Markt langfristig nach erneuerbaren Alternativen. Im Zentrum der Forschung liegen derzeit Methanol-, Ammoniak- und Wasserstoffantriebe zur Ablösung herkömmlicher Schiffsdieselkraftstoffe.

Um den großflächigen Einsatz alternativ bebunkerter Schiffe zu ermöglichen, muss eine entsprechende Bunkerinfrastruktur in Häfen vorhanden sein. Die Insel Helgoland wird insbesondere von Besatzungs-Transferschiffen (CTVs), Passagier- und Forschungsschiffen sowie Sportbooten frequentiert. Gleichzeitig soll auf Helgoland zukünftig grüner Wasserstoff aus dem Projekt AquaPrimus zur Verfügung stehen.

„Mit Blick auf die gute Verfügbarkeit von Grünen Wasserstoff im Inselgebiet möchten wir prüfen, inwiefern die Insel Helgoland künftig auch die Versorgung der Helgoland anlaufenden Schiffe verlässlich anbieten kann“, sagt Christoph Tewis, Projektleiter für AquaCore und das TransHyDE-Projekt Helgoland.

Die von HPC durchgeführte Konzeptstudie umfasst zum einen, das Marktpotential von alternativen Kraftstoffen für die Insel-Schiffsverkehre zu evaluieren, um den potentiellen Bedarf zu konkretisieren. Unter Berücksichtigung der örtlichen Rahmenbedingungen werden daraufhin verschiedene Betankungskonzepte für Wasserstoff untersucht. Ein zweiter Schwerpunkt liegt darauf, die Bedingungen und Voraussetzungen für einen möglichen Standort für eine Wasserstoff-Bunkerstation unter Bezugnahme passender Konzepte zur Gewährleistung der Versorgungslogistik zu untersuchen. Neben der Bewertung und Empfehlung eines geeigneten Konzeptes wird die Studie erste Schätzungen zu den notwendigen Investitionen enthalten.

„Die Ergebnisse der Studie werden die Gemeinde Helgoland und ihre Partner besser in die Lage versetzen, eine Investitionsentscheidung auf der Basis realistischer Kosten zu treffen“, sagt Patrick Specht, Leiter Nachhaltigkeit bei HPC.

HPC hat bereits verschiedene nationale und internationale innovative Energieprojekte für Schiffstechnologien und Hafeninfrastruktur durchgeführt, unter anderem bei der Vorbereitung eines Testcenters für Brennstoffzellen-Fahrzeuge im Hafenkontext für einen Hamburger Terminalbetreiber.

Die Konzeptstudie für eine Wasserstoff-Bunkerstation auf Helgoland wird im Rahmen des Wasserstoff-Leitprojekts TransHyDe durch das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung gefördert. TransHyDE ist eins der drei Wasserstoff-Leitprojekte des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung und unterstützt die Ziele der Nationalen Wasserstoffstrategie, die 2020 von der Bundesregierung verabschiedet wurde. Die Wasserstoff-Leitprojekte erforschen und entwickeln neue Technologien und Anwendungslösungen für die Erzeugung, die Speicherung und den Transport von Grünem Wasserstoff.

Weitere Informationen über Hafenberatungsdienste finden Sie auf der Website: www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Über HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting ist ein Logistikberatungsunternehmen, das sich auf Strategie- und Transformationsdienstleistungen für die Sektoren Häfen, Terminals und Bahn spezialisiert hat. Seit seiner Gründung im Jahr 1976 hat das Hamburger Beratungsunternehmen mehr als 1.750 Projekte in 135 Ländern auf sechs Kontinenten durchgeführt, die den gesamten Entwicklungszyklus von Hafenprojekten abdecken. HPC beschäftigt rund 100 Fachexperten mit einem Hintergrund als Terminalbetreiber, Software-Ingenieure, Logistikmanager, Verkehrsökonomen und Mathematiker. Als Tochterunternehmen der Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) hat HPC seine Wurzeln im Hafenumschlag von Containern, Stückgut und Mehrzweckfracht sowie im Hinterlandverkehr. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Analysis served as basis for the process of granting licence to operator

Hamburg, 17 January 2023 – HPC Hamburg Port Consulting, the leading logistics consultancy for seaports and the associated hinterland carriers and logistics chains, was hired in 2022 by HGK Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln KG (HGK) to conduct a profitability analysis for the Cologne North intermodal traffic rail terminal. The analysis made a fundamental contribution to the now completed transfer of terminal operations to HUPAC SA.

As a provider of logistics solutions for rail and ship, HGK operates a total of three terminals on the Rhine in Cologne as well as a rail network that connects the city with international intermodal logistics hubs. As a public investor, HGK is making a significant contribution to the city of Cologne’s infrastructural provision of public services by successfully completing the second phase of construction at the new bimodal intermodal terminal, Cologne North. The terminal has a capacity of up to 130,000 TEU.

Based on a tender, HGK commissioned traffic consultancy company HPC to carry out a comprehensive profitability analysis. The analysis was intended to be from the perspective of both investors and operators and to serve as the basis of calculating the amount of the lease to be charged for a future investor. The tender of the intermodal operator complies with the requirements of the “Funding guidelines for handling facilities in combined transport” of non-state companies.

“By transferring the terminal to a competent and high-performing partner with its own intermodal rail products within Europe, we can significantly contribute to shifting more freight transport from the roads in the Cologne area to the more climate-friendly rail and waterways,” says Mr. Norbert Di Raimondo, who led the placement project at HGK. “In addition to key operational indicators, the placement criteria were mainly defined by qualitative, macroeconomic sustainability criteria for the northern Cologne region, which were set during the processing stage.”

“The analysis and assessment of intermodal infrastructure and its integration into existing supply chains over the entire life cycle of cargo handling facilities and against the background of a dynamic market development is one of the core competencies of our consultancy services,” says Hartmut Beyer, authorised signatory at HPC and expert on market development of intermodal transport. “We are delighted to have been able to win the tender through our holistic approach – meaning the market study, the profitability analysis, the evaluation of the macroeconomic effects as well as the consulting on funding, all from a single source.  We extend our gratitude to HGK for their trust.”

With more than 45 years of consultancy experience, HPC is a firmly established name in the domestic logistics community. It works with a close-knit network of companies active in the intermodal traffic system. With over 120 completed projects in rail-based handling of goods around the world, HPC has made a major contribution to the development of this transport sector. In the area of funding consultation, HPC can count involvement in over 50 projects pertaining to funding acquisition at the domestic and European level.

Further information about HPC’s consultancy services for the intermodal sector can be found under www.hamburgportconsulting.com

About HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting operates as a logistics consulting company, specialising in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since its establishment in 1976, the Hamburg-based consulting company has delivered more than 1,750 projects across 135 countries spanning six continents, along the entire port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, breakbulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

HPC untersuchte Wirtschaftlichkeit für den Betrieb des KV-Terminal Köln-Nord

Analyse diente als Basis für den Betreiber-Konzessionsvergabeprozess

Hamburg, 17. Januar 2023 – HPC Hamburg Port Consulting, der führende Logistikberater für Seehäfen und die damit verbundenen Hinterlands-Verkehrsträger und Logistikketten, ist im Jahr 2022 von der Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln KG (HGK) beauftragt worden, eine Wirtschaftlichkeitsanalyse für das Bahn-Terminal im kombinierten Verkehr in Köln-Nord zu erstellen. Die Analyse leistete einen grundlegenden Beitrag zu der nunmehr erfolgten Vergabe des Terminalbetriebs an die HUPAC SA.

Als Anbieter von Logistiklösungen für Schiene und Schiff ist die HGK-Gruppe Eigentümerin von drei Kölner Rheinhäfen sowie eines Schienennetzes, das die Rheinmetropole mit internationalen Logistik-Drehscheiben des kombinierten Verkehrs verbindet. Mit der erfolgreichen Inbetriebnahme der zweiten Baustufe des neuen bimodalen KV-Terminalneubaus Köln-Nord im Juni 2020 leistet die HGK als städtischer Investor einen wesentlichen Beitrag für die infrastrukturelle Daseinsvorsorge der Stadt Köln. Das Terminal hat eine Kapazität von bis zu 130.000 TEU. 

Auf Basis einer Ausschreibung hatte die HGK das Transportberatungsunternehmen HPC mit einer umfassenden Wirtschaftlichkeitsuntersuchung beauftragt. Die Analyse sollte sowohl die Investoren- als auch Betreiberperspektive berücksichtigen und als Grundlage für die Ermittlung der Pachthöhe gelten, die von einem zukünftigen Betreiber erwirtschaftet werden kann. Die Ausschreibung des KV-Betriebes wird von der Richtlinie zur Förderung von Umschlaganlagen des kombinierten Verkehrs nicht bundeseigener Unternehmen vorgeschrieben.

„Mit der Übergabe des Terminals an einen kompetenten und leistungsstarken Partner mit eigenen, intermodalen Zugprodukten im europäischen Raum, können wir entscheidend dazu beitragen, mehr Güterverkehr von den Straßen des Kölner Raums auf die klimafreundlicheren Verkehrsträger Schiene und Wasserwege zu verlegen“, sagt Norbert Di Raimondo, der das Vergabeprojekt bei der HGK verantwortlich leitete. „Maßgebend für die Definition der Vergabekriterien waren neben betriebswirtschaftlichen Kennziffern auch qualitative, gesamtwirtschaftliche Nachhaltigkeits-Kriterien für die Region des Kölner Nordens, die im Rahmen der Bearbeitung festgelegt wurden.“

„Die Analyse und Bewertung intermodaler Infrastruktur und ihre Integration in bestehende Lieferketten vor dem Hintergrund einer dynamischen Marktentwicklung gehört zu den Kernkompetenzen unserer Beratungsdienstleistungen über den gesamten Lebenszirkel einer Frachtumschlags-Anlage“, sagt Hartmut Beyer, Prokurist bei HPC und als Fachexperte für Marktentwicklung Intermodalverkehr verantwortlicher Projektleiter. „Wir freuen uns, dass wir mit einem ganzheitlichen Ansatz, der die Marktbetrachtung, Wirtschaftlichkeitsanalyse, Analyse der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Effekte sowie der Fördermittel-Beratung ‚aus einer Hand‘ umfasst, überzeugen konnten. Wir danken der HGK für das entgegengebrachte Vertrauen“.

HPC ist mit mehr als 45 Jahren Beratungstätigkeit in der nationalen Logistik-Community fest verankert und verfügt über ein enges Netzwerk mit im Kombinierten Verkehr tätigen Unternehmen. Mit weltweit mehr als 120 umgesetzten Projekten im schienengebundenen Güterumschlag hat HPC zur Weiterentwicklung dieses Sektors signifikant beigetragen. Im Bereich Fördermittel-Beratung kann HPC auf mehr als 50 Projekte nationaler und/oder europäischer Fördermittelakquise-Projekte zurückblicken.

Weitere Informationen über HPC-Beratungsdienstleistungen für den Intermodalsektor finden Sie unter www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Über HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting ist ein Hersteller-unabhängiges Logistikberatungsunternehmen, das sich auf Strategie- und Transformationsberatungsleistungen sowie Softwarelösungen für Häfen, See- und Binnenterminals sowie den intermodalen Schienenverkehr spezialisiert hat.  Seit seiner Gründung im Jahr 1976 hat das Hamburger Beratungsunternehmen mehr als 1.750 Projekte in 135 Ländern auf sechs Kontinenten entlang des gesamten Entwicklungszyklus von Hafenprojekten durchgeführt. HPC beschäftigt rund 100 Fachexperten mit einem Hintergrund als Terminalbetreiber, Softwareingenieure, Logistikmanager, Verkehrswirtschaftler und Mathematiker etc. Als Tochtergesellschaft der Hamburger Hafen- und Logistikgesellschaft (HHLA) hat HPC seine Wurzeln im Hafenumschlag von Containern, Stückgut und Mehrzweckgütern sowie im Hinterlandverkehr. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Hamburg, 15 November 2022 – HPC Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) is to carry out a market analysis to guide a passenger shipping regeneration program at the Port of Scarborough on the Caribbean Island of Tobago.  HPC will determine the drivers which should be initiated by the Government to stimulate the cruise business over the next twenty years.

Attracting additional cruise passenger visits from a pre-pandemic annual level of 70,000 will play a fundamental role in the economic development of the capital city Scarborough, and in that of the island as a whole through being a primary driver of increased tourism. The task of designing the necessary infrastructure at the port in the heart of the city has been given to a consortia lead by architects JMetrix Ltd., and HPC will deliver the component labelled, Cruise Market Analysis. Furthermore, HPC collaborates with architect RHWZ for cruise terminal design including shore integration and with Inros Lackner for port engineering aspects.

HPC has considerable experience of advising on cruise facility developments having worked on nearly twenty cruise projects since the early 2000’s in Germany, Tunisia, Croatia and the USA, and a total of over forty port development projects in the Caribbean as a whole. Subsequent to its delivery of the Cruise Market Analysis for Scarborough, the consultancy will also contribute operations, sustainability strategy and financial analysis for further phases of the Tobago cruise terminal development scheme.

Hartmut Beyer is HPC’s cruise market specialist and project manager. He outlines the goals of his investigation, “The over-arching aim of the project is to make Scarborough an attractive cruise destination, and with neighbouring Caribbean islands achieving passenger throughputs of significant higher numbers per year, we believe there is massive potential.  Our task is to pinpoint those initiatives Tobago is best advised to make in order to achieve such potential.”

The natural assets of the location are profuse. The island itself might be described as a ‘hidden jewel’ with unspoilt sandy beaches, which are home to turtles the year round.  Inland there is a virgin rainforest and the cultural heritage of Tobago is rich and varied. The cruise terminal is an element of an urban development plan commissioned by the THA Tobago House of Assembly, which sees sustainable growth of the tourist industry on the island as key to making the most of these natural resources.

Joshua Stewart, Lead Design Consultant at Jmetrix commented, “HPC is a vital element of our consortia as its reputation as a port development consultant is well-established and we see Scarborough port as a primary entry point to the rest of the island.  A successful cruise terminal will connect tourists to not just the city but will help open up the delights of Tobago as a whole. Our goal is the creation of an attractive ‘nature-city and the power of the marine environment is central to that aim.”

The results of the first phase of the feasibility study are due to be delivered in March 2023.

Contact

Steffi Karsten, HPC Marketing / PR, email: s.karsten@hpc-hamburg.de

About HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting operates as a logistics consulting company, specialising in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since its establishment in 1976, the Hamburg-based consulting company has delivered more than 1,700 projects across 130 countries spanning six continents, along the entire port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, breakbulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Hamburg, 03 November 2022 – HPC Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) has been selected by the private investor Mimarine International to accomplish a pre-feasibility study for the development of an operable business concept for the Port N’diago, Mauritania. HPC will identify investment requirements for port operation, the connection by rail to the hinterland and for a dry port terminal.

Port N’diago is a newly built port in the south of Mauritania, completed in 2021 but not yet in operation. The port currently has a 180 m quay wall for commercial purposes with a limited back yard, which needs to be developed. Other parts of the port that were built for fishing and other purposes can also be reconstructed for cargo handling.

A consortium led by Mimarine International is pursuing the goal of better connecting the southern hinterland of Mauritania to international maritime traffic.

HPC’s role is to carry out a pre-feasibility study involving the development of port operations, the railway connection of 70 km to the planned railway route between the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott and the border of Mali, as well as the conceptual designing of a dry port terminal at the intended railway junction.

“Connecting south-western Mauritania to international maritime transport will stimulate the local mining industry”, says Jamal Mohamed Salem, CEO of Mimarine International. “The expansion of Port N’diago will also provide impetus for growth in the region.”

HPC’s core competencies include providing commercial, financial and operational analyses for the development of transport infrastructure from the quay wall to the hinterland. The overall objective of the study is the investigation of potential developments to stimulate port operations and the realisation of necessary additional infrastructure investments to achieve this.

It will involve the analysis and evaluation of potential commodities and cargo flows as well as the development of a functional and efficient operations concept that will meet market demand in terms of volume and performance within reasonable resource requirements.

The study will identify such market demand and assess the general need for an intermodal facility, as well as the required equipment and infrastructure.

Dr Martin Schramm, managing the project at HPC, comments: “This ambitious project aims to put currently untapped maritime facilities to good use in order to further develop the industry in the region.”

The results of the pre-feasibility study are expected to be available in January 2023.

The contracting parties consider the study to be a first step in a long-term partnership in which HPC will provide its experience to later develop efficient port operations.

About HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting operates as a logistics consulting company, specialising in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since its establishment in 1976, the Hamburg-based consulting company has delivered more than 1,700 projects across 130 countries spanning six continents, along the entire port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, breakbulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Aimed at bringing together port and transport stakeholders around the world to share initiatives in tackling the challenges of the modern industry, Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) last week launched the first in its regular series of ‘talk shows’ entitled Connecting Ports.  The port and logistics consultancy wants to stimulate both debate and cooperation on critical issues. 

Hamburg, 13 September 2022

The first interactive forum, open to all with an interest in ports and transport was headlined “Decarbonisation – On Our Way to a Climate-Neutral Port Industry” and featured five contributors from three continents in a ninety-minute session hosted by Christina Prieser, an Associate Partner at HPC.

Much is being discussed about how, and to what target levels the amount of CO2 emissions must be reduced for various modes of freight transport – air, sea, road – but Connecting Ports in its first edition very clearly emphasised the port as a focal point in the quest for collaborative solutions to decarbonisation.

Encapsulating what a number of the participants highlighted, Margaret Kidd, Program Director, Supply Chain & Logistics Technology Instructional Associate Professor at University of Houston, showed how the high degree of centrality that is exhibited by ports can be a great source of influence.  As major nodes connecting maritime transport with urban activities and access to the hinterlands through other transport modes, ports are in a powerful position to lead and facilitate change.

Exemplifying this influence Johannes Schmidt, Climate and Innovation Manager at the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) gave details on the decarbonization activities in the Port of Hamburg and highlighted three pillars that the HPA has identified for a “green port transformation”: increased use of renewable energy sources; establish a hydrogen value chain throughout the port, with an aim to become Europe’s logistics hub for green hydrogen, and a focus on projects that reduce energy consumption and increase the electrification of operations.

Of course, while encouraging the sharing of initiatives across the global port community the panel recognised that geographical location, environmental conditions and local community considerations result in variations in the responses to the decarbonisation challenge that are possible for differing ports.

The Mediterranean port of Barcelona, for example has restrictions on wind power production due to the close proximity of the airport as well as to limited wind resources but can, because of its climate, access more solar alternatives. Héctor Calls, Head of Sustainability at the Port explained that unlike some other ports, Barcelona has fewer industrial plants within its precinct.  As a consequence, some 70% of its carbon emissions emanate from maritime vessels, a percentage far higher than many industrialised ports.  While approaching the challenge with a similar ‘three-pillar’ approach to Hamburg, he underlined the need for ports to adapt to their own physical and environmental constraints.

For individual port terminals some of the options to affect emissions are similarly restricted. Jan Hendrik Pietsch, Head of Sustainability at HHLA shared his organisation’s priorities.  Proud of the fact that nearly 50% of hinterland transport of containers is currently by rail, he nevertheless saw this element of the supply chain as a key target to lower emissions further toward the 2040 goal of carbon neutrality.

Pietsch also emphasised the role that technology and process optimisation play in the efforts for increasing operating efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint.  Predictive technology can greatly help the reduction of unnecessary lifts, crane and terminal equipment movements and the better synchronisation of container deliveries and pick-ups, as well as more efficient stack designs.  These contingencies, which save both cost and emissions could perhaps be more relevant to container terminals around the world.

Addressing the collaborative efforts of ports, Alaa Morsy, Professor and Dean of the Port Training Institute at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, based in Alexandria, Egypt drew attention to the success of the MEDPorts Association with its membership of twenty-three ports in the region and five educational and training institutions.  The sharing of a united strategy which the Professor called a Roadmap for a Green Transition is a vital element in the sort of cooperation regional and global ports achieve. Of particular importance, he made clear, are the areas of training and research in which his Academy has communal agreements and active cooperation with similar institutions in Spain, France, and Tunisia.

Alaa Morsy also highlighted the emerging green transition initiatives in Egyptian ports, such as the establishment of Mega Green Hydrogen Ship Refuelling Station in the Suez Canal area and the expansion of the solar energy platforms to serve the ports of Damietta and East Port Said.  These initiatives are all in line with COP27 (United Nations Climate Change Conference) hosted by Egypt in November 2022.

In conclusion, Margaret Kidd quoted Charles Darwin when he wrote – “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” This adage sums up HPC’s desire to inspire interactive communication among ports through this, and future editions of Connecting Ports.

So much more was shared by the speakers and audience alike and the full session on Connecting Ports can be viewed here Session #01 “Decarbonisation – On Our Way to a Climate-Neutral Port Industry” (vimeo.com)

For more information on port and transport consulting services, please visit the website: www.hamburgportconsulting.com

About HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting operates as a logistics consulting company, specialising in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since its establishment in 1976, the Hamburg-based consulting company has delivered more than 1,700 projects across 130 countries spanning six continents, along the entire port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, breakbulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Invasive pests transferred between countries in intermodal containers have potentially devastating consequences for agriculture and the natural environment.  Global Shippers Forum (GSF) is alerting shippers to the crucial role they play in tightening biosecurity in the container supply chain at the packing point

While there are various sources of potential pest contamination throughout the global freight supply chain, all involved need to take measures to minimise the potentially devastating consequences that unwanted invasive pests can deliver. The Global Shippers Forum (GSF) represents cargo owners which export and import all manner of commodities transported in seaborne containers and urges a greater awareness of the threat.

Hosted by the UK Government on 19^th and 20^th September a specialised group of trade bodies, shipping industry representatives and national plant protection and bio-security agencies will meet at the International Workshop on Reducing the Introduction of Pests Through the Sea Container Pathway*. GSF will be representing shippers to ensure that the scope and limits of their responsibilities are clearly defined.  James Hookham its Director will be speaking during the opening session.

“We will be reviewing one of the many ways that invasive and destructive pests can pass from one country to another – by ‘hitch-hiking’ a ride in, or on, any of the 240 million freight container shipments that are made by sea every year,” declares Hookham.  “I believe this will be a wake-up call to all parties involved in international container shipping and logistics. In particular, the beneficial cargo owner, whether importer or exporter, who potentially exerts the most influence and control over the packer of the container, need to be aware of their responsibilities in avoiding pest infestation at the point of loading. This assumes the packer provided with a clean container in the first place”

Inspections of containers arriving at borders carried out by national biosecurity agencies over the past few years suggest that the number of containers and cargoes infested by pests may be greater than feared. National environment and agricultural ministries have been working through the UN’s International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to tackle this issue and the London workshop has been convened to consider options for regulating the cleanliness of sea containers and an International Standard for Phytosanitary Measure for the cleanliness of intermodal containers could be in prospect.

GSF has been monitoring and influencing these developments since 2018 when it was invited to join an IPPC Task Force set up to examine the threat to plant health posed by pest-contamination of sea containers.  The Task Force’s report at the end of 2021 set out a range of regulatory options for its parent body, the Commission for Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) to consider. Crucially, it also warned that implementation of new mandatory requirements could impose significant new costs and risks to the fluidity of the international movement of containers.  GSF has been clear in its opposition to any new rules applying indiscriminately to every container shipment, urging that controls and resources be targeted instead on high-risk trade corridors and specific pest threats.

Hookham warns, “Shippers should not wait to be confronted with new regulations before responding to this issue. Whether acting as a buyer or a seller of goods, importer or exporter, the standards of care with which they are packed into the containers should be core to their quality checks and specifications to suppliers or contractors. Keeping bugs out of boxes is a responsibility that shippers and packers could become more accountable for in the future.”

Global Shippers Forum (GSF)

(www.globalshippersforum.com) is the global business organisation speaking up for exporters and importers as cargo owners in international supply chains and trade procedures. Its members are national and regional shippers’ associations representing hundreds of manufacturing, wholesaling, and retailing businesses in over 20 countries across five continents. GSF works for safe, competitively efficient, and environmentally sustainable global trade and logistics.

Hamburg, 01 September 2022 – Port and logistics infrastructure specialist Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) has put forward operational development design plans for the BILK intermodal terminal in Budapest.

The Budapesti Intermodális Logisztikai Központ (BILK) had a throughput of 230,000 TEU last year and is one of Hungary’s biggest intermodal logistics hubs. With cargo handling capacity almost reached and adjacent land for expansion unavailable, HPC’s task was to answer the question “What is possible?” to increase the terminal’s capacity and strengthen its position in the network. This includes storage size, shunting performance, equipment utilization, and possibly a shift in the mix of cargo unit types – containers, trailers, and swap bodies.

At Europe’s heart, Budapest offers a prime location as a central logistics hub connecting the transcontinental and maritime traffic flows to Western and Eastern Europe. BILK is one of the main hubs of Rail Cargo Group for intermodal traffic with regular connections to European ports such as Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Koper, Piräus, Rijeka, and rail terminals in Neuss, Wels, Wien, and Brno, among others. The terminal currently handles mainly maritime containers, for which it was initially designed, but the demand for handling trailers and other continental traffic is significantly increasing.

“In asking HPC to carry out this work, we wish to take further advantage of Budapest terminal’s unique location. We have realized the changing demands of our customers and are actively working on solutions together with our partners,” explains Attila Czöndör, CEO of BILK. “We manage maritime, continental and Eurasian traffic at the same time at the terminal and want to ensure that all of this traffic, with its different characteristics, can be handled flexibly, yet punctually and reliably.”

As a consequence, HPC’s detailed assessment involved considerations of a wide range of options, including a study of current terminal capacity (tracks, lift, yard, gate) and a sensitivity analysis of comprehensive planning parameters such as a reduction in unit dwell times and train turnarounds as well as changes in modal unit volume splits and traffic types. Also, the effects of faster gate procedures and a reduction of gate peaks through the use of technology solutions such as pre-announcement, optical character recognition (OCR) and self-check-in have been studied.

Particular emphasis has been placed on safety issues. Significant increases in annual volumes will put undoubted stress on current operational processes with a consequent negative effect on work safety due to limited space availability and crossing traffics if no major changes in operational procedures are considered.

Frank Busse, Associate Partner and Business Development Manager Europe at HPC comments, “We see a real need to optimally adapt terminals, BILK among them, to the changing requirements of the railway companies. Growing traffic from the Eurasian region and higher proportions of non-stackable cargo in the continental traffic are leading to new challenges to which the terminal layout and processes must adapt in order to offer competitive services in the long term.”

For more information on port consulting services, please visit the website: www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Contact

Steffi Karsten, HPC Marketing / PR, email: s.karsten@hpc-hamburg.de

About HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting operates as a logistics consulting company, specialising in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since its establishment in 1976, the Hamburg-based consulting company has delivered more than 1,700 projects across 130 countries spanning six continents, along the entire port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, breakbulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting together with PT Melchers Melindo Indonesia has been contracted to deliver a valued judgement on investment in development of Indonesia’s deepest dry bulk terminal

Hamburg, 28 June 2022 – HPC and PT Melchers Melindo Indonesia, part of the international business development group Melchers, have signed a contract with the port operator PT Krakatau Bandar Samudera (PT KBS) to provide an independent study aimed at validating the potential of extending the capacity of Krakatau International Port to handle cargo in addition to dry bulk and break-bulk commodities.

Situated on the West coast of Java, the Krakatau International Port faces the Sunda Strait, one of Southeast Asia’s busiest marine trade routes, connecting the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. The port serves a large industrial complex for steel production, which includes infrastructure for importing bulk iron ore and exporting steel products from three general cargo berths. Other cargoes handled include corn, soybean, sugar, soybean meal, gypsum coal, salt and general cargo.

PT KBS aims to maximize the potential for the port’s cargo handling ability and further develop its portfolio. The study will include market forecasts, a port operations development concept and financial analysis, which will inform the port’s plan to expand facilities for handling other cargo types. The intention is to further participate in, and benefit from the growing trade via the Sunda Strait.

The contracting by PT KBS of the business development partner PT Melchers Melindo Indonesia and global port specialist HPC for this pre-feasibility study follows a Memorandum of Understanding between the three parties in November 2021

“We aim to ensure that the development of our port infrastructures is in line with our target expectation,” says M. Akbar Djohan, President Director of Krakatau International Port.

“Joining forces with HPC ensures a combination of detailed knowledge about local and global requirements in order to deliver a comprehensive, sound basis for our client’s investment decision,” says Michael Gross, President Director of PT Melchers Melindo Indonesia.

“By concluding a substantiated view of the market opportunities and resources required, we will provide the client with a detailed understanding of the investment opportunity. This will allow for informed decision making and a detailed project risk assessment,” says Dennis
Kögeböhn, Partner at HPC and responsible for the APAC region.

For more information on port consulting services, please visit the website:
www.hamburgportconsulting.com

About HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting operates as a logistics consulting company, specialising in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since its establishment in 1976, the Hamburg based consulting company has delivered more than 1,700 projects across 130 countries spanning six continents, along the entire port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, breakbulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting to evaluate new equipment and capacity requirements at the South Carolina Ports facility  to add capacity to the Southeast’s supply chain

Hamburg, 28 April 2022 – South Carolina Ports has commissioned Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) to assess the capacity expansion of the Inland Port Greer, one of its intermodal rail terminals located in the Northern part of the state. The assessment was used to validate HPC’s original capacity and review options for expanding total capacity, ensuring the rail-served inland port can handle growing cargo volumes for customers.

SC Ports operates multiple cargo facilities in South Carolina, among them the seaport in Charleston and its inland port in Greer, which extends the Port of Charleston’s reach 212 miles inland via a rail link that enables the smooth movement of goods for customers.

Extending the range of the seaport’s economic influence has been a driving factor for the development and construction of SC Ports’ inland port in Greer. In light of the growing container volumes handled at Inland Port Greer, SC Portscommissioned HPC to develop a capacity improvement plan for the terminal with the aim of evaluating the potential for expansion as a timely response to future volume developments.

“As operators, we aim for flexibility in responding to the supply chain disruptions that are more and more becoming a new normal, while also considering our planned expansion efforts to meet our customers’ needs,” said Steve Kemp, Senior Director Intermodal, Chassis and Operations Projects at SC Ports. “We opted to have our yard and equipment capacity plans reviewed by independent specialists to be prepared for meeting future volume demand.”

After providing a development plan for the facility a few years ago, HPC has now prepared an update, taking into consideration the impacts of ongoing supply chain disruptions in North America and the need for more capacity to handle customers’ growing supply chain needs. Amongst others, the layout concept and equipment procurement plan for long-term expansion have been generally validated within the framework of a sensitivity analysis. HPC has analysed the influencing factors under different dwell time scenarios to map the supply chain resilience.  As a result, some adjustment measures have been suggested, making the facility capable of handling up to 300,000 rail units. 

“Our clients want answers to whether their planning is sufficient to cope with various future scenarios,” says Christoph Schoppmann, Project Director and responsible for intermodal planning at HPC. “With resilient planning, they can give their customers the unprecedented flexibility and control required by manufacturers with tight production lines, and retailers with high demands for efficiency and reliability of their supply chain.”

Thanks to the HPC-internal’s “Intermodal Planning Model”, all traffic and volume flows on the terminal can be mapped and assessed. “We consider all possible terminal resources such as tracks, lift equipment, yard, empty yard, gate, etc., individually and in combination with each other,” says Schoppmann. “As a result, the customer enjoys a better understanding of the options and can make well-informed decisions on making the facility fit for future growth.”

HPC has extensive intermodal and rail terminal planning expertise. The consulting firm for ports, terminals and hinterland connections has already implemented more than 130 intermodal projects worldwide of which 60 have been in North America.

For more information on consulting services for the intermodal sector, please visit the website: www.hamburgportconsulting.com

Contact

Steffi Karsten, HPC Marketing / PR, email: s.karsten@hpc-hamburg.de

About HPC

HPC Hamburg Port Consulting operates as a logistics consulting company, specialised in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since establishment in 1976, the Hamburg-based consulting company has delivered approximately 1,700 projects across 130 countries spanning six continents, along the full port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, break bulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com

The EU-co-funded project creates new connections for freight and passenger transport and optimises hinterland connections in the southern Baltic Sea region

Hamburg, 2 November 2021 – The transnational project “South Baltic Transport Loops” (SBTL), supported by the European Union and initially developed by Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) recently held its closing conference in Copenhagen. Aimed at assisting in the development of smaller and medium-sized ports in the region, a number of significant new sea connections have resulted.

The main focus of the partners in the project, the ports of Elblag, Karlshamn, Mukran and Roenne, and the Klaipeda Shipping Research Centre is developing and implementing new regular services and ship connections for container, bulk and general cargo transport, and ferry services. Attention is also being placed on improving the intermodal hinterland connections of the ports. Representatives of the project partners presented their results at the closing conference in Copenhagen on 28 September.

HPC developed the project in 2016, applied for funding and has been coordinating it since 2018. Dr Olaf Zeike, Senior Consultant at HPC and the project manager in charge, takes positive stock: “With the activities promoted by the SBTL project, the course has been set for sustainable development of the partner ports in the southern Baltic Sea region. Despite Corona-related delays, we can be proud of the team effort that has been achieved across the countries involved in the project.” The list of innovations and improvements is impressive.

A total of three new connections in cargo transport have been established so far: to build the “Baltic Sea Bridge” for container transport between Europe and China, a regular connection was set up to run several times a week between the port of Mukran (Saßnitz) on the island of Rügen and Baltysk. The latter belongs to the Russian Kaliningrad region and allows for a connection to the New Silk Road by rail from and to Xi’an, China.

The creation of a new connection between Mukran and Karlshamn in February 2021 also provided the southern Swedish port with access to the New Silk Road. “Large investments are being made to strengthen and expand the transport corridor between Sweden and Eastern Europe/CIS/China via Karlshamn,” says Ulf Sandevärn, Marketing Manager, Port of Karlshamn.

New ferry connections have been established between the southern Swedish ports of Ystad and Mukran, which will serve in responding to an expected increase in tourism with up to two departures daily in the summer, bearing particular relevance for passenger traffic and tourism.

Between Roenne on the island of Bornholm and Mukran, it was possible to switch to a year-round ferry service and increase the number of weekly departures. “The connection to Mukran has strengthened the central importance of the Port of Roenne as Bornholm’s supply port,” says Maja Felicia Bendtsen, Chief Business Officer – Bulk, Port of Roenne.

As regards the ferry service between Karlshamn and Klaipeda, Lithuania, in addition to an increase in frequency, port capacity has also been extended and prepared for the use of larger ferries.

“At the Port of Elblag, extensive preparatory work was carried out for the future development of the port upon completion of the new canal between the Baltic Sea and the Vistula Lagoon,” explains Arkadiusz Zglinski, Director of the Port of Elblag. 

“The southern Baltic Sea region is developing very quickly, and it is important that the forecast of passenger and cargo flows is as accurate as possible,” says Prof. Vytautas Paulauskas of the Klaipeda Shipping Research Centre, who has been analysing traffic flows in the region.

In terms of improving hinterland connections, bus lines to the ports of Karlshamn and Mukran have been optimised. The railway hinterland connection for container transport to and from the ports of Karlshamn and Mukran has also been improved.

“Mukran is the closest German port to Sweden, Bornholm, Finland, Russia and the Baltic States and serves as a gateway to Western Europe,” says Helmut Seilert, Senior Manager Business Development & Logistics, Fährhafen Sassnitz GmbH. “Thanks to the project, the improved hinterland connection for freight transport enables green transport by rail from the Baltic Sea to numerous destinations in Germany and to Rotterdam.”

The South Baltic Transport Loops project has been funded by the Interreg South Baltic programme, which utilises funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Interreg is one of the European Union’s (EU) main instruments for promoting cross-border cooperation through project funding. The programme aims to find common solutions in the areas of transport and sustainability, among others. For example, projects funded under the heading “Blue Growth” address the economic potential of the Baltic Sea for economic growth and employment along the coasts of the Baltic Sea.

“The SBTL project has vividly filled the Interreg programme priorities with life,” Olaf Zeike concludes. “Together, the project partners have worked towards sustainable, innovative solutions that are attractive for business and tourism in the region and promote cooperation.”   

For more information, visit www.southbaltictransportloops.EU

About HPC

Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) operates as a logistics consulting company, specialising in strategy and transformation services for the ports, terminals, and rail sectors. Since its establishment in 1976, the Hamburg-based consulting company has delivered approximately 1,700 projects across 130 countries spanning six continents, along the entire port project development cycle. HPC employs about 100 domain experts with a background as terminal operators, software engineers, logistics managers, transport economists and mathematicians. As a subsidiary of the Hamburg Port and Logistics Corporation (HHLA), HPC has its roots in port handling of container, break bulk and multipurpose, as well as hinterland operations. www.hamburgportconsulting.com