Successful premiere: HHLA Project Logistics coordinates first transhipment in the Port of Hamburg

At the end of the year, HHLA Project Logistics successfully completed its first loading operation in the Port of Hamburg. The subsidiary of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), which normally specialises in project cargoes in Asia, was able to draw on the expertise and network within the HHLA Group for its first order in Germany. It worked closely with the HHLA company UNIKAI Lagerei- und Speditionsgesellschaft. 

The oversized cargo consisted of six passenger railway carriages, each between 17 and 22 metres long and weighing between 20 and 47 tonnes, as well as the associated bogies. Manufactured in China, the wagons were transported by ocean-going vessel to Hamburg. The Wallmann & Co terminal loaded the wagons onto inland waterway craft that took them to O'Swaldkai, HHLA's universal cargo terminal.

The HHLA subsidiary UNIKAI took over the handling at O'Swaldkai. After customs formalities had been completed, the wagons were placed on the terminal's own rail track, where they were assembled for onward transport by rail to the Czech Republic. 

“With the support of our partners within the HHLA Group and other reliable specialists, we were able to complete this job quickly and smoothly,” emphasised Korneli Korchilava, Managing Director of HHLA Project Logistics. He also highlighted the importance of rail for the environment: “I am particularly pleased that with this project we have been able to promote the transfer of traffic to rail and thus contribute to our company's climate protection goals. It is opportunities like this that make the Port of Hamburg such a special location.”

With this successful premiere, HHLA Project Logistics has taken an important step into the German market and at the same time demonstrated the capabilities of the Port of Hamburg.

About HHLA Project Logistics

HHLA Project Logistics offers specialist transport solutions for the entire Caucasus region and Central Asia, dealing with heavy and oversized loads and unique requirements every day. The subsidiary of HHLA specialises in all stages of handling project and transit cargo, particularly on behalf of international and local freight forwarders. High levels of quality and reliability are built into its service with a “safety first” approach taken on every single project (certified to ISO 9001 and 14000 standards). Since 2001, HHLA Project Logistics has had its headquarters in the Georgian seaport of Poti, a hub on the ancient Silk Road. It operates additional branches in Tbilisi (Georgia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Astana and Almaty (Kazakhstan).