Hamburger Hafen und Logistik : Global Sustainability Magazine 2024

The Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG Sustainability Magazine

LOGISTICS

BALANCED

APPLYING THE

DIGITAL LEVER

Can data really make international trade more sustainable?

Page 4

AN UNBEATABLE

COMBINATION

Ships meet rails in the Port of Hamburg. Why does this have environmental advantages?

Page 10

• Contents Balanced Logistics 2024

4

DIGITALISATION AT THE STARTING LINE Though AI is in the starting blocks, logistical data still isn't linked well.

42 ON THE GREEN TRACK		18 PROTECTING THE OCEANS

Contents L O G I S T I C S	2024	3o	If you want to achieve climate-neutral production,
B A L A N C E D			Always upstream

you need a lot of energy from renewable sources.

10

INTERMODAL PORT HAMBURG

Here, ships and rails are combined in a unique way.

3

Our ideas, our strategy, our commitment

...help ensure that sustainability is not just

a buzzword at HHLA. Read more about these topics on the marked pages.

Angela Titzrath:

"With our logistics solutions we play a key role in the sustainable transformation of the industry."

Page 8

Tatjana Meichsner:

"When people are in crisis, work can give them a sense of stability and normality. But the focus is always on the person and their health."

Page 22

• Applying the digital lever

Digital platforms not only result in more efficiency

they are also expected to make logistics more sustainable.

• "Way above average"

CEO Angela Titzrath on the challenges facing future generations and how HHLA is meeting them.

1o An unbeatable combination

Hamburg, the world's largest railway port, is making a unique contribution to achievement of EU climate targets.

18 Ideas for protecting the marine environment

Four start-ups are leading the way.

22 With an open ear and empathy

Social and addiction counsellor Tatjana Meichsner

25 Hamburg Port Scouts

Children on a journey of discovery

26 Alternative drive technology

Will it be hydrogen for fuel cells, or will huge batteries provide the drive for motors?

32 Thinking more internationally

An essay on the different perspectives on sustainability in other regions of the world.

34 Saving the grey energy

Refurbishing in a climate-neutral manner? A project in the Speicherstadt historical warehouse district is investigating.

4o Taxono-what?

A complicated set of rules, the EU Taxonomy, is meant to ensure greater sustainability in commerce. We explain them.

42 "Don't just talk, act!"

Robert Groiss on climate-friendly transport through Metrans and the investments required for more rail transport.

46 etrofitting on a grand scale

A future project steeped in history: a historic

oating crane is being retrofitted for the years ahead.

50 What gives us hope?

Hope is important if we are to avoid despair.

And there are good, fact-based reasons to be hopeful.

52 Social media / Imprint

34 FROM A WORLD HERITAGE SITE TO A HEAT RESERVOIR

26WHICH DRIVE ENERGY WILL WIN THE RACE?

Peter Rosenzweig:

"One large roof and an ice storage unit in the cellar could be enough to supply heat to an entire block of the Speicherstadt historical warehouse district."

Page 34

Robert Groiss:

"Transport naturally produces a lot of emissions. But at Metrans,

we launched a project that sets us apart from the competition in terms of climate protection."

Page 42

4	Business forecast Digital logistics

LEVERAGING THE POWER OF DATA

5

Data is the "oil of the future" in logistics, too. Used with care, it could help make the global flow of goods more sustainable. However, it is often unavailable and re uires standardisation. Transparency, networking

and open standards make it easier to use.

Aline appears on the screen with the first field "Origin" filled in with "Jena, DE". This is followed by a whole row of technical de- tails, coloured time slots and

finally you get to the cell containing the entry "Destination: Pasir Gudang, MY". The subject is a container carrying optical devices. The trained specialist studying the screen ensures that it is transported from Germany to Malaysia. To do this, she looks for the ideal ship connection with onshore pre-carriage and on-carriage, at the best possible price, of course. However, something that the standard software rarely has an overview of is how much COŒ is emi˜ed along the scheduled route.

Climate-friendly or even certified climate- neutral transport is something that is being requested by an increasing number of carriers. The consumer goods conglomerate Beiersdorf also pursues an ambitious sustainability agen- da. To achieve its goals, it has expanded the digital platform offered by Ulm-based company Transporeon to include all of its global sea freight. This plays "a key role in maintaining sus- tainable, around-the-clock operations to support our global logistics network," says Malte Schulz, Vice President, Supply Chain EU & NA at Beiersdorf. All participants along the transport chain can continue to work with their various IT systems because the digital documents are automatically sent out with the container and can be accessed via the shared platform.

Transporeon's AI-controlled transport logistics platforms also include a sustainability hub, which is of particular interest to eco-conscious companies. There, they can calculate their COΠemissions down to the last pallet and then also reduce them in a targeted way. The "Carbon Visi- bility" solution combines the data from carriers, logistics service providers and freight forwarders and, according to the manufacturer, offers "access to all emissions data in one location in order to identify trends and inefficiencies, and to make informed decisions". Transport man-

"We integrate

primary

consumption

data from

transport and

logistics

service pro-

viders in order

to calculate precise and validated CO2 values."

Martin Jakobs,

Director Client Solutions

at Shipzero

agement systems and telematics data can be interfaced via the application programming interface (API).

Data interfaces with poor connectivity are a hindrance

Various interfaces with poor connectivity are, however, still a hindrance to data communication - for example, for the forwarder of the optical devices from Jena. This is where the emissions data platform Shipzero comes in - which is in no way restricted to the shipping industry. Zero represents its mission "to support our customers in the decarbonisation of logistics," says Martin Jacobs, Director Client Solutions of the Hamburg-basedstart-up. "There is a significant backlog in the industry, alongside the requirement to comply with lots of new regulatory standards."

On behalf of our paying customers, around 40 employees work first and foremost to consolidate and harmonise the various data resulting from a logistics or transport order. "COΠreporting isn't a plug-and-play model," warns Jacobs. Sometimes simply comparing internal data from different departments is a challenge - let alone considering the national differences within a global supply chain. Shipzero can be integrated into the control and scheduling systems of its customers and receives modelled emission factors for all carriers and global transport routes. This enables the customer to work out where leverage can be applied and where there is the scope to reduce the carbon footprint of a transport. "In many cases, assumptions have to be made," explains Jacobs. "At the same time, we are continually collecting data in order to get a more accurate picture. To do this, we integrate primary consumption data from transport and logistics service providers in order to calculate precise and validated COΠvalues." He names Sovereign Speed as an example, which uses biofuels that comply with the new HVO 100 standard. In such cases, the vehicle telematics enable precise calculations to be made re-

6	Business forecast Digital logistics

AI IS IN THE STARTING BLOCKS, READY TO OPTIMISE EVEN COMPLE PROCESSES

"In Western

7

According to HPC expert Daniels, Hamburg and other European logistics hubs are already far ahead when it comes to sustainability, while there are "hardly any platforms and barely any data exchanged" in the USA. The same could be

DYNAMIC

DATA EXCHANGE

Patrick Alexander Rugenstein juggles nautical and many other types of data every single day. In the HVCC team, intelligent software is used to coordinate most ships calling at or sailing from Hamburg for the current and following day. Which explains the many monitors. The idea of sustainable use of resources was the driving force when HHLA and EUROGATE established their joint venture in 2009. Read this article to find out why HVCC manages this with great success, and how.

garding how high the COŒreductions would be in comparison to standard diesel on a specific route and for a specific order.

Making it simpler to book intermodal transport online

Booking and placement websites can also help to make transports more environmentally friendly. At least they do when they facilitate in- termodal transport, as is the case for modility, an HHLA tech start-up. For every search request, the modility system displays a list of different transport options along with the amount of COΠsavings they can achieve in comparison to heavy goods vehicles. Forwarders can integrate rail transport more easily because they can use the platform to find more than 800 intermodal connections from 55 operators before planning and booking them online directly from the provider. "And if a consignment doesn't arrive on time for whatever reason, a booking can be postponed to a later departure time directly via our portal," explains Nils Funke, marketing expert at modility. "Since our platform went live, the COΠsavings from all rail transports booked via modility equate to the amount that would be captured by 172 hectares of forest per year," he says. In future, Funke can imagine submitting extensive sustainability reports. In the lon-

ger term, the intermodal platform also wants to "draw on various funding options" to integrate inland waterway shipping and ferries throughout Europe into short sea shipping, as these are also more environmentally friendly carriers.

Ambitious goals are also the focus for Sin- gapore, the biggest maritime location in the world and Hamburg's third largest trade partner for container handling. The port hub in South East Asia handles around one seventh of all global transshipments and is responsible for

0.11 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. By 2050, the terminals are to achieve net zero emissions. The digital networking of the many companies operating in the port aims to help with this. The main objective is to minimise idle times for ships and vehicles, as well as to achieve shorter port calls in order to reduce the amount of pollutants entering the air of the ecosystem. The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) launched the Maritime Single Window "digi- talPORT@SG" as its central platform. It is em- bedded in a just-in-time (JIT) planning and coor- dination system. This not only allows for more efficient planning of ship calls but also services such as handling and refuelling.

Singapore is growing with breathtaking speed: By 2040, the Tuas mega port, with a ca- pacity of 65 million TEU, is set to become the largest fully automated port in the world. To achieve this, the MPA is currently testing a ship management system equipped with artificial intelligence (AI). This futuristic technology can draw on huge amounts of data to calculate fu- ture values, i.e. practically make predictions. This could also help to make complex port lo- gistics processes more sustainable. The Port of Singapore is working at full speed and wants to launch the AI-based Next Generation Vessel Traf- fic Management System (NGVTMS) platform in 2025. The MPA is building the world's largest 5G network spanning a port to serve as data infra- structure. "It's not just about establishing digi- tal systems but also good connectivity between the systems," says David Foo, Assistant Chief Executive of Operations Technology at the MPA. This aims to "lead to more efficient use of fuel and reduce unnecessary carbon emissions". To do this, terminal operators, transshippers,

freight forwarders, customs, shipping compa- nies, rail companies and truckers all need to work together effectively. "This is already happening in ports around the world," says Sven Daniels, Partner at the HHLA consultancy subsidiary HPC Hamburg Port Consulting. In his ex- perience, digital platforms are no longer being used to boost productivity: "Now, sustainability targets are what it's all about." But he highlights one of their weaknesses: "In Western Europe alone, there is a port community system in every port, but linking them up is very difficult." He finds overarching systems, such as a Singa- pore-style Maritime Single Window, the more logical choice for sustainable logistics.

Overall picture for ship calls in the Port of Hamburg

The Port of Hamburg is an industry pioneer when it comes to networking and data commu- nication. One excellent example of the inter- company exchange of information is the HVCC Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center. Years ago, this joint venture of HHLA and Eurogate developed a similar method for managing ship calls as the one in place in Singapore. The HVCC is the central coordination point for mega-ship, feeder and inland waterway vessel traffic. Be- fore, lots of information in the shipping industry and port business was exchanged by phone or email. "Using digital processes we aggregate data, build an overall picture of the port and plan ship calls days in advance," explains HVCC Managing Director Gerald Hirt. When platforms such as these deliver the right data at the right time, they can make logistics more sus- tainable. Hirt makes a calculation: "If an 18,000- TEU ship travels from Ro˜erdam to Hamburg at the optimised speed of just 14 knots instead of 18 knots, we can save more than 22 tonnes of fuel and 66 tonnes of COŒ."

Europe alone, there is a port community system in every port, but linking them up is very difficult."

Sven Daniels,

Partner at HPC Hamburg

Port Consulting

said of transport along the central corridor of the Iron Silk Road. The EcoTransIT World Initiative (EWI) platform does enable COΠcalculations for partial routes, but the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) is of the opinion that it is essential for a low-carbon future that "data for reducing emissions across the entire supply chain must be measured and tracked". For this reason, the independent technology consortium in Hong Kong is developing a digital platform and concluded an information-sharing partnership with the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) in Singapore in June 2023. The mutual goal is "to close the gaps in transparency between digitalisation and de- carbonisation". This is true for the whole logistics sector, which could drastically reduce its significant impact on nature and the environment if this succeeds.

8	Strategy Committed to the future	9

With size comes responsibility. A company history going back nearly

140 years also means responsibility. But we feel most responsibility towards the future, which depends more than ever on protecting the climate. It's

a simple equation: If we destroy the climate, we destroy our world. Here at HHLA, sustainability has long been the driving force behind what we do.

"OUR PERFORMANCE

IS WAY ABOVE AVERAGE"

AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

OF HHLA, ANGELA TITZRATH

is also responsible for the sustainability department.

After the energy industry, it is the transport sector that still emits the most CO₂ - also because the volumes being transported have continually

grown over time. However, we are now living in an era of closely networked, international flows of goods that not only need an efficient logistics strategy, but also - and increasingly urgently - a climate-friendly one.

In the mobility sector, HHLA is a pioneer of sustainable logistics. In 2023, 79 per cent of our sales volume met the high climate protection requirements of the EU Taxonomy, while the European industry average for mobility companies was just 7 per cent (2022). In terms of our capital expenditure (CapEx), the proportion complying with the Taxonomy was around € 350 million (2023) - that's nearly 87 per cent! This clearly shows that our business model is one of the most sustainable in the mobility sector.

And we're very proud of that! We want to take on a key role in shaping the sustainable transformation of our industry and support other companies as a strategic partner. As such, our focus is on climate-friendly logistics chains and hubs. Our expertise has been confirmed by TÜV Nord on several occasions: We operate the world's first certified climate-neutral port handling facility (see also page 42). That facility is the Hamburg container terminal Altenwerder (CTA), where almost all vehicles are powered by electricity from renewable energy sources.

Our intermodal logistics make sustainable supply chains possible

But our climate-friendly logistics solutions extend far beyond quayside handling. With HHLA Pure we offer our clients a certified climate-neutral service package that includes both port handling and transport between the container terminals in the ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Koper on the Adriatic and their respective hinterlands. Our rail subsidiary Metrans handles transportation within Europe almost exclusively using electric locomotives, which are

"We want to take on a key role in shaping the sustainable transformation of our industry."

In 2023,

79 per cent

of HHLA's sales volume met the high climate protection requirements of the EU Taxonomy, while the European

industry average

for mobility

companies was just 7 per cent.

compatible with the electric power systems in seven European countries. The Metrans network is experiencing continual and dynamic growth. Around 650 connections a week encourage even more customers to switch their goods transports over from road to rail, which is the more environmentally friendly choice. Our strength in intermodal logistics safeguards sustainable and efficient supply chains. And we are already using e-trucks for "last mile" logistics. Because, after all, we want to keep improving with time!

CO2 emissions already reduced by 38 per cent compared with 2018

In order to make our networked supply chains even more sustainable, we will be drawing on zero-emissions solutions both at our terminals and in rail transport. We want to achieve carbon -neutral production by 2040 and reduce our CO₂ emissions by at least half by 2030. By late 2023, we had already slashed our CO₂ emissions by 38 per cent compared with the baseline values from 2018. In Hamburg, we are currently working intensively on a project to switch to shore-side power. It will be used to supply container ships with energy so that the ship's engines can be switched off in port and they can further reduce their CO2 and pollutant emis- sions. But this is just one example of the many projects all around Europe that we could men- tion. They show that sustainability is firmly anchored in our corporate governance and management processes. We are working confidently towards our vision for HHLA as a strong Europe- an logistics company with sustainable, innovative solutions for the logistics of the future.

But at our heart, we are guided by a very old idea that originated in Germany: "Don't fell more trees than are able to grow back." This original concept for sustainability came from forestry. We used this as our inspiration and want to use the resources available in such a way that they are preserved over the long term, including for future generations. Because we have a responsibility towards the future.

10 Cover story Intermodal port

AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION

11

From HHLA Container Terminal Burchardkai directly to the European hinterland via shuttle train.

15 million tonnes of ore

and coal are imported annually via Hansaport.

RAIL If the Port of Hamburg was solely a rail terminal, it would rank among the biggest rail freight stations in the world. More than 5,500 rail cars are handled there each day.

CONTAINER SHIPS bring their cargo directly

to one of Europe's largest industrial areas with indisputably the lowest emissions per tonne transported.

HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder handles more containers than any other rail terminal in Europe.

Europe can only achieve its climate goals with eco-friendly supply chains. The Port of Hamburg plays an important role in this by combining ship and rail transport in a unique way.

12 Cover story Intermodal port

METRANS SHUNTERS at CTA. The HHLA intermodal subsidiary runs mainline locomotives in Germany on green power.

AS THE WORLD'S LARGEST RAIL PORT, HAMBURG IS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY HUB.

First of all, trains are much more energy-effi- cient than heavy goods vehicles and emit fewer harmful substances. Converted to tonne-kilometres (the number of kilometres travelled multiplied by the quantity of goods transported in tonnes), a truck emits 110 times more CO2 than a train. Additionally, rail requires only

1.2 hectares of land for one kilometre of route, while road freight requires 3.6 hectares - three times as much land use!

Why is a rail port especially environmentally friendly?

Rail, already an eco-friendly mode of transport, is combined with large vessels at the Port of Hamburg. Container mega-ships, massive ore carriers and supertankers bring their cargo almost 110 kilometres inland along the river Elbe. Such "channel navigation" is beneficial from an overall environmental perspective. Why?

There are various interrelated reasons for this. Firstly, no other form of transport manages to keep its energy consumption and carbon footprint per tonne of cargo carried even remotely as low as mega-ships. What's more, container (and other) ships bring their cargo directly to one of Europe's most important economic regions, as the Port of Hamburg is Germany's largest contiguous industrial area, covering 4,226 hectares of land.

Lastly, a disproportionately high level of the goods destined for (or coming from) other regions are moved by rail. In 2023, almost 46 million tonnes of goods were transported via the Hamburg port railway's tracks. In particular the containers transported by rail covered significantly longer distances than those carried by road. Container mega-ships with a capacity of 20,000 standard containers (TEU) ensure plenty of activity. In Hamburg, an average of around 9,000 TEU are lifted from ships (unloaded) and loaded. Of these, 6,000 come from or head to the hinterland, while the remaining 3,000 or so containers are transship-

13

Key Northern European ports (North Range)

WILHELMSHAVEN

North Sea

HAMBURG

BREMEN PORTS

Germany

Netherlands

ROTTERDAM

ANTWERP-BRUGES

Belgium

Hamburg puts by far the most boxes on the tracks

Share of overall rail traffic ith the hinterland y

port total volu e	illion standard containers
Antwerp			Wilhelmshaven
1%
10%
Rotterdam			Hamburg
20%
49%

Is Hamburg really the world's largest rail port? That cannot be said with the absolute certainty required by official statisticians. The data is inconclusive, as there is no clearly defined, internationally accepted

parameter for port rail throughput. However, when it comes to the number of containers moved between ship and rail - the key indicator for seaports - Hamburg is unquestionably among the global leaders. In Europe, Germany's largest seaport is the undisputed number one.

The Hamburg port railway, operated by the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), is the link between the port's many terminals and the Euro-

32%

of the containers transported by rail in Germany pass through Hamburg

pean rail network. It provides 290 kilometres of track for handling around 210 freight trains comprising more than 5,500 rail cars every day. No other port offers its customers nearly as many rail connections throughout Germany and Europe. Hamburg has 1,891 connections. An impressive 13 per cent of all of Germany's rail freight transport begins or ends in the Port of Hamburg. In terms of national container traffic, a full 32 per cent of boxes transported by rail in Germany pass through Hamburg. If the Port of Hamburg was solely a rail terminal, it would rank among the biggest rail freight stations in the world.

ments. Transshipments are transfers between the container mega-ships and smaller feeders, which are used to transport the boxes onwards by sea, primarily to the Baltic region. All of the HGVs, trains and ships needed for this would have to cover much greater distances if the Port of Hamburg did not serve as a hub.

Rail is also indispensable for many bulk goods. Trains loaded with potash arrive at the K+S AG Kalikai site from the Werratal region, to be shipped from here to all around the world. And in the Port of Hamburg's fuel depots, tens of thousands of tank cars are processed every year. Transported by rail, they ensure the supply of a wide range of mineral oil products

Bremen ports

20%

No other port offers as many rail connections as Hamburg

HAMBURG

1,891 connections per week to/from Hamburg

14 Cover story Intermodal port

and chemicals. The block trains that carry up to 6,000 tonnes of iron ore and coal to the Salzgi¨er and Eisenhü¨enstadt steelworks are the heaviest trains operating in Germany. They are loaded by HHLA subsidiary Hansaport by means of an automated process. Quantities that could only be transported by rail are handled at the Hamburg terminal. Nobody could be in favour of having heavy goods vehicles transport up to 15 million tonnes of ore and coal on Germany's roads each year.

Almost everything apart from bulk goods (such as coal and mineral oils) is transported in containers. The colourful boxes are mainly handled in the western part of the port at the HHLA and Eurogate container terminals. The rail terminal at HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) holds the record with around 900,000 TEU per year, making it Germany's largest rail terminal and Europe's biggest container terminal. Such quantities mean that every hour of operation and every square metre of space

"More than half of the steel industry's transports are via rail. We rely on efficient logistics for the supply of raw materials and shipment of finished steel prod- ucts."

Kerstin Maria Rippel,

CEO of the German

Steel Association

must be optimally used. Everything runs extremely smoothly here and the four rail gantry trains are constantly in motion. The nine tracks, each 720 metres in length, are occupied around the clock. The annual track capacity is divided into slots of equal duration that are assigned to the trains of the rail operators. Each slot is

4.5 hours long, during which time the CTA em- ployees must unload and load the entire train.

Metrans makes

rail transport attractive

Without smart rail operators like HHLA's inter- modal company Metrans, there would be no high-frequency connections between the port and hinterland. Metrans runs modern electric locomotives that move the company's own block trains throughout large parts of Europe, while its environmentally friendly hybrid locomotives perform shunting work at the Port of Hamburg. But the company is more than just an operator of technology. Metrans has developed a well-organised hub & shu¨le system that works in a similar way to large airports, where passengers on their way from Leipzig to New York, for example, change planes in Frank- furt. Such pooling of intermodal traffic, just

15

TRAIN LOADING

AT HANSAPORT

The block trains loaded here by automated means with up to 6,000 tonnes of iron ore and coal are the heaviest trains

operating in Germany.

Container volumes

by carrier (modal split)

7.7 million TEU (2023) were handled in the Port of Hamburg

Transshipment 2.6 million TEU

Hinterland traffic

5.1 million TEU

Hinterland traffic by mode of transport

Rail 49.7 %

Truck 47.9 %

Inland waterway ship 2.4 %

as in air transport, connects smaller and medium -sized locations to the efficient Metrans network. Regular shu¨le services reliably move the containers in a carbon-neutral way (more on this on page 40) between Hamburg and the hub terminals. The HHLA terminals at the seaport load the import containers from the vessels onto the Metrans block trains in any order. Sorting only takes place then in Prague, Ceska Trebova or Dunajska Streda. The reverse is the case for export containers.

However, this system is not suitable for every connection. Flexibility is therefore a must. Metrans must try to coordinate the volumes at the individual terminals, which vary on a daily basis, with the respective destination and the imbalance in import and export. To this end, so-calledmulti-group trains are used. Metrans puts together block trains from rail car groups of varying strength that are loaded at the individual terminals and then travel to Munich, for instance. Such logistically and economically viable logistics solutions make rail transport an option for a large group of customers. This in turn has a positive effect on transport pric- es. The benefits of rail as a mode of transport already mentioned can only be fully exploited through this kind of optimised interplay exem- plified at Hamburg's rail port.

DRY BULK

HANDLING

The up to 15 million tonnes of ore and coal imported by Hansaport are transported away from the port by rail and inland waterway.

16

POWERING THE FUTURE SHIPPING INDUSTRY: WHICH ENERGY SOURCE WILL WIN THE RACE?

out. A great many shipping companies are now opting for the energy-rich compound CH₄O. Shipyards currently have orders for 152 metha- nol-powered ships with a total capacity of over

1.75 million TEU. In addition to the low emis-

sions, methanol is not poisonous to marine life

(unlike ammonia, which produces toxic fumes,

and heavy fuel oil or diesel, which can devastate

entire stretches of sea). In the event of acciden-

Cover story Ship drives	17

emissions by a quarter with LNG. Industry leader MSC, which operates almost 800 vessels, also has 100 dual-fuel ships on the way as part of its fleet renewal strategy.

Hartmut Beyer from HPC Hamburg Port Consulting is convinced: "In the long run, sig- nificantly greater importance will be a¨ached to methanol and ammonia in its green version as marine fuel, which will replace LNG due to

Shipspo¨ing is a popular hobby in a maritime city like Hamburg. The many marine buffs keen to take photos eagerly

awaited the maiden voyage of the Ane Maersk in early 2024. The 350-metre-long,53.5-metre-wide container ship has an unusual shape, with the container gantry crane at the bow. This leaves space for two tanks: one bunkering bio-diesel and the other methanol. This exceptional vessel was even powered by biometha- nol for its trip along the river Elbe. According to Danish shipping company Maersk, the resulting emissions are 65 per cent lower than those of fossil fuels. Diesel is still needed to ignite the engine and in case the methanol runs

152

methanol-powered ships with a total capacity of

1.75 million TEU are on shipyard

order books

tal spillage, methanol is no longer detectable in

water after an hour.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to grow

sufficient energy crops to obtain enough meth-

anol for the some 100,000 vessels all over the

world. Industrially produced alcohol is not a

solution either. Ammonia, methanol's com-

petitor in the race to find alternative fuels, has

similar issues. NH3 is a compound of hydrogen

and nitrogen. While nitrogen, as the main ele-

ment in the air we breathe, can be made avail-

able everywhere, consumers from a multitude

of different industries are vying for the coveted

"green" hydrogen. But ammonia in gaseous

form is poisonous and has a pungent smell. It

needs to be kept at a temperature of below mi-

METHANOL

IN THE BLOOD

The Ane Maersk has an unusual shape, with the container gantry crane at the bow. This leaves space for an additional methanol tank.

nus 30 degrees Celsius to stay liquid. Neverthe- less, many experts believe it will play a major role in future ship propulsion.

Will ammonia replace li uefied natural gas

Many have recently pinned their hopes on

li uefied natural gas . German shipping company Hapag-Lloydhas equipped two container mega-shipswith suitable dual-fueltechnology to enable them to be powered with non-fossilfuels at a later point as well. Hapag-Lloydis aiming to reduce current CO2

their reduced CO2 emissions. Next-generation synthetic fuels will then gain in significance in the shipping industry when it becomes cheaper to produce and process green hydrogen. This would be the ideal scenario, as it would enable continued use of the existing maritime supply infrastructure and established engine technol- ogy."

All of these efforts and the competition between energy sources are necessary because the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a strategy for a gradual lowering of greenhouse gas emissions which envisages a reduction of at least 20 per cent by 2030 and 70 per cent by 2040, compared with 2008 levels. It has set a target of zero-emission shipping by 2050.

1	ELECTRICITY REACHES	2	RAIL SYSTEM ALONG
	TRANSFORMER STATION		QUAY WALL

Cable chain	Self-propelled
socket

Quay wall

4

3

2

HOW SHORE-SIDE ELECTRICITY WORKS

Even while in port, container ships need a lot of energy, primarily for powering refrigerated containers, pumps and electrical systems. In future, container mega-ships in particular will minimise their emissions with the help of shore-side power stations. The Hamburg Port Authority is working together with the container terminals on the system outlined here. This is intended to enable ships capable of connecting to shore-side power stations to switch off their diesel engines while in port. This will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also pollutants and noise (of particular importance for Hamburg as a city port).

1

3	SELF-PROPELLED	4	SHIP CONNECTION SYSTEM

SOCKET (MOBILE SHORE

POWER OUTLET)

18	Our seas and environmental protection What can we do?

103 IDEAS TO PROTECT THE MARINE WORLD

Oceans and seas are essential to logistics. Most of the world's trade is transported by water and this has always been the case. Even though mega-ships generate the lowest carbon emissions per tonne transported, they still have a significant impact overall on all marine water bodies. However, there is also awareness of this issue, and a lot is being done to better protect our oceans. Four start-ups are leading the way.

19

Hamburg

Shanghai

Suez Canal

Primary maritime trade routes

Secondary routes

According to the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development	DATA, DATA AND MORE DATA
(UNCTAD), there were almost	An extensive network of knowledge and information
allows transit times to be shortened, route management
100,000	improved and CO2 emissions reduced.
cargo, container, tanker, ferry
and passenger ships operating

grams)	36	3%
(in
-kilometre
28	hipping emits 1,000 million
	tonnes of CO2 annually, equivalent
	to 3% of global CO2 emissions.
per tonne		15
	4.4
2
*CO

4.4

grams of CO2 per tonne-kilometre

However, no other form of transport manages to keep its energy consumption and carbon footprint per tonne of cargo carried even remotely as low as mega-ships. By comparison, emissions are around 20 times higher for transport by heavy goods vehicle, eight times higher by inland waterway ship and even more than three times higher by electric locomotive than by mega-ship (see graphic below).

worldwide in 2020.	WORKING GROUP 2020, OWNCALCULATIONS)
32,000,000
CARGO
cruise passengers travelled the seas
in 2023 - almost two million more than
CLEAN	OceanScore & Searoutes
before the coronavirus pandemic.
		6.51,	The problem: The EU wants to slash shipping-related
		TREMOD
28%	43%	greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is a challenge for the
shipping companies operating the more than 100,000 relevant
containers
other	2022,
and dry bulk	commercial vessels worldwide. Which ship should be used
		In which port should it be loaded Where will it be unloaded

		Container	mega-
HGV
			ship	travelling
				between
					Asia
						and
Inland			locomotive			Northern
waterway
					Europe*
	ship

(UBA)

What is the most cost-effective route

And increasingly: what is

AGENCY

the most environmentally friendly route

29%

ENVIRONMENT

The idea: Knowledge is power. Shipping companies need as

oil

much information as possible to minimise the burden placed by

43%

shipments on the seas, air and wildlife. OceanScore ensures pre-

cise environmental analyses of trade routes by collecting data about

GERMAN

time ones, climate, traffic densities, ports, anchorages, flora,

fauna and wildlife. Under founder Pierre Garreau, Searoutes has

of all vessels transport containers

or loose dry bulk (e.g. cement, coal and

(SOURCE:

developed an algorithm for its navigation software that takes

account of the environmental factor when calculating routes.

grain), 29% oil. The cargo volume

has doubled within 20 years.

CONTAINER

The result: Companies like HHLA subsidiaries OceanScore and

Searoutes can help to dramatically reduce transit times and CO2

emissions. Potential savings in CO2 emissions of 5 to 0 per cent

* STANDARD

per container are achievable with data-driven analyses.

oceanscore.com

searoutes.com