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As a European network logistics provider, we at HHLA ensure the smooth, reliable functioning of our daily lives and our economy. Together with our clients and partners, we create resilient, efficient, and sustainable logistics solutions, building on smart concepts and the power of our networks.
No other continent handles as many container crossings across diverse transport routes and borders as Europe. As one of the world's key logistics hubs, Hamburg connects to this extensive network. Every third container transported by rail in Germany passes through the Port of Hamburg. With our three Hamburg container terminals and our rail subsidiary Metrans, we at HHLA play an essential role in this system.
Hamburg serves as an important hub in our HHLA logistics network, which spans much of Europe. Our additional seaport terminals in Tallinn, Trieste and Odessa connect the Baltic and the Adriatic, with a link to the Black Sea. Through our rail subsidiary Metrans we maintain a frequent and dense transport network linking these strategic locations with numerous other ports.
Within our HHLA logistics network, we offer integrated logistics solutions that include not only intermodal transport but also services such as handling and storage, consulting or innovative data services. Our broad range of logistics services and the efficient links within our network enable our clients and partners to connect markets – and thus accelerate the flow of goods.
Whether by sea, rail, or road, our logistics hubs create efficient and sustainable connections between European ports and the hinterland – all the way across Europe, from the northern seaports of Rotterdam and Gdansk, via Prague and Budapest, to Trieste and Istanbul. Our intermodal network ensures that goods are delivered reliably and eco-consciously to their destinations, providing seamless logistics that prioritise both efficiency and environmental responsibility. The 20 company-owned terminals and many further locations of our rail subsidiary Metrans span an efficient network of intermodal connections across the continent. We are continuously expanding this network to offer our clients new opportunities.
In the world's second-largest railway port – Hamburg – roughly the same number of containers are loaded onto trains as in Rotterdam, Antwerp, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven combined. A large proportion of these containers are handled at our HHLA terminals. The front-runner is the rail terminal at our HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) with around 900,000 standard containers (TEU) per year. This makes it not only the largest rail terminal in Germany but also the largest container rail terminal in Europe.
The future of the logistics sector is determined by the efficiency of its hubs. That is why we at HHLA have long focussed on the latest automation technologies to improve the efficiency of our terminal operations and enhance process reliability. We have contributed to the fact that technologies such as automated storage and retrieval crane systems, driverless transport systems such as automated guided vehicles (AGV) and digital truck processing are now part of the modern standard. Additionally, these automated solutions contribute to improved safety and working conditions for our employees.
Our HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) in Hamburg is a prime example of the automation of port operations. It was built in 2002 as a greenfield project on previously undeveloped land. With its high degree of automation, CTA is a pioneer in container handling. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies and innovative IT systems, container ships are loaded and discharged efficiently and precisely. Nearly all vehicles and systems operate on electricity sourced from renewable energy, making a significant contribution to climate-friendly logistics.
At HHLA Container Terminal Burchardkai (CTB) in Hamburg, we are undertaking the largest brownfield project in the industry: we are transforming the oldest container terminal in Hamburg into a sustainable, efficient container hub in our European network with the help of automation, all while operations continue as usual. As part of the modernisation of CTB, we are replacing the existing container storage with an automated storage crane system. The expansion of the rail terminal to ten block train tracks has already been completed, and the transition from diesel-electric straddle carriers to autonomous AGVs is currently underway. Additionally, plans for new megaship container gantry cranes are in progress.
At HHLA, we view ourselves as pioneers in the journey toward more sustainable logistics, developing innovative solutions for our clients that are both ecologically and economically sound. This is also reflected in the implementation of our sustainability strategy under the guiding principle of "Balanced Logistics". By the end of 2023, we had already reduced our CO2 emissions by 38 percent compared to the 2018 baseline. But we want to achieve more: our goal is to reduce our CO2 emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030 and to achieve climate-neutral production by 2040.
The evaluation of our measures according to the strict requirements of the EU taxonomy shows that we are playing a pioneering role in the mobility industry when it comes to sustainable logistics. In 2023, 79 percent of our revenues were already in line with these regulatory requirements, while the European industry average for mobility companies stood at 7 percent (2022). HHLA's capital expenditures (capex) of approximately 350 million euros (2023) were taxonomy-compliant to a degree of almost 87 percent.
As a renewable fuel and raw material, hydrogen can play a crucial role in the energy transition and contribute to climate protection. In the Hamburg Clean Port & Logistics Cluster, which we co-founded, more than 45 companies are collaboratively testing hydrogen-powered equipment in port logistics. By pooling their expertise within this extensive network, they are accelerating the shift toward emission-free heavy-duty logistics and port operations. Since mid-2024, our HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort in Hamburg has been equipped with the necessary infrastructure, including a hydrogen filling station to provide green hydrogen for heavy equipment.
Hydrogen must be made widely available. That is why we, as a logistics group, are actively involved in projects related to the import and distribution of hydrogen. These include the TransHyDE lighthouse project, which is further developing and testing technologies for the transport and storage of hydrogen. At HHLA, we are excellently equipped to take advantage of new opportunities in hydrogen import and transport with our network that extends from various seaports into the European hinterland.
It is our aspiration to combine ecological, social and economic interests in order to make our company future-proof. We underline this with our "Balanced Logistics" sustainability strategy.
Read moreGeopolitical crises, complex supply chains, climate-friendly processes: We can only overcome these challenges with the help of system innovations. To shape the logistics of the future, we actively seek out digital solutions and advance them through our innovation unit, HHLA Next. Our objective is to streamline processes, provide competitive advantages for our clients, and enhance the resilience, efficiency, and sustainability of supply chains. Innovative data networks and platforms will give our clients and partners easy access to our performance and ensure future-proof logistics processes.
HHLA Next combines our many years of expertise with the agility of a start-up. Here, we promote ideas that advance digitalisation and modernise logistics. In our innovation and venture building unit, ideas become new products and business models, for example as an in-house development, in cooperation with partners or through capital expenditure in innovative companies. We are shaping an innovative supply chain with new technological possibilities through automation and digitalisation.
Every day, more than 6,000 trucks travel to and from our Hamburg terminals to drop off or pick up containers. passify – a spin-off of our innovation unit HHLA Next – is a new digital solution for making access to logistics facilities more efficient. The smartphone app guides truck drivers through the entire check-in process and will offer them further functionalities in the future, such as a mobile self-service terminal. Passify enables clear identification and thus increases the security of the facilities.
Drones provide aerial reconnaissance for disaster relief, inspect damage to buildings and help to optimise internal transport chains. HHLA Sky recognised this trend early on and developed special, highly robust and secure industrial drones. Its Integrated Control Centre ensures that drones can fully realise their potential. Fleets of drones flying autonomously and various robots – such as AGVs on the ground – can be safely controlled and coordinated at different locations at the same time.
Our employees not only master our diverse day-to-day business at the quayside or at their desks, they also develop visionary future projects together with partners – from autonomous transport systems to the use of drones. We have around 6,800 employees working in eleven European countries and 78 different companies. They are the heart of our network.
Together, we unlock The Power of Networks and shape the future of logistics – with a strong team, collaboration, a zest for innovation and a sense of responsibility.
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