New container gantry cranes for Container Terminal Burchardkai

The new container gantry cranes arrived at the Port of Hamburg on Wednesday, 20 November 2024, aboard the “Zhen Hua 27”. The ship is expected to remain at Athabaskakai until 23 November in order to prepare the cranes for unloading at the terminal. Afterwards, the ship will be moved to its final location at Berths 1 and 2, allowing the cranes to be installed at the quayside by the end of November. The final commissioning will take place in early 2025.

Ingo Witte, CTB Managing Director: “The deployment of the new container gantry cranes marks another significant milestone in the comprehensive modernisation of Burchardkai. Our ambition is clear: we aim to make container handling at CTB more efficient, sustainable, and future-ready. Thanks to the size of these cranes, we offer our customers maximum flexibility in handling their largest container ships.”

The new container gantry cranes at CTB are among the most modern in the world and are capable of handling ships with a capacity of up to 24,000 standard containers (TEU). Each of the two cranes stands 80 metres tall and features jibs that are also 80 metres long, spanning a total of 26 container rows. They replace the previously smaller models at the terminal. CTB has been using these mega-ship container gantry cranes since 2019. By 2026, three additional cranes of this size will be added to ensure greater flexibility for “Ultra Large Container Vessels” at the Waltershofer Hafen. Out of the 26 cranes at CTB, a total of 18 mega-ship cranes will be in operation after the expansion.

As Germany’s largest seaport terminal, Burchardkai serves a critical role in ensuring the daily supply chain for European consumers and companies. The facility is currently undergoing extensive modernisation during ongoing operations and is considered the largest brownfield project in the industry worldwide. Starting in 2026, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) will handle the transport between quayside and the automated block storage area. Furthermore, the capacity of the block storage facility is being steadily increased, with three additional storage blocks set to be brought into operation in the coming weeks. To create a modern environment for the maintenance and repair of equipment and facilities, CTB is currently constructing a new 5,000 m² workshop.

Sustainability is at the forefront of the terminal’s ongoing development. The container gantry cranes, storage and rail cranes, as well as the new AGVs, are powered exclusively by electricity from renewable energy sources. The new workshop will also be equipped with a photovoltaic system. The HHLA Group aims to achieve climate-neutral operations across Europe by 2040.