Hamburg currently has the biggest container cranes in Europe
Ceremonial reopening of Berth 1 at EUROGATE
Hamburg, 4 November 2005 +++ Today sees the ceremonial reopening of EUROGATE’s Berth 1. It was one and a half years ago that EUROGATE and the City of Hamburg began modernisation work on the berth, to make it fit for the next generation of large container ships. The first container ship to be handled officially today at the completed berth is the MS Hanjin Athens, which has a cargo capacity of 5,618 TEUs. EUROGATE and the City of Hamburg have invested a total of EUR 72 million in modernising the berth. Today it will be handed over as a “dedicated berth” to Hanjin Shipping and will be immediately available to the Korean shipping line at all times for loading and unloading its ships.
The berth has a length of 350 metres. Within a period of eighteen months the quay wall was shifted forward 35 metres and the harbour basin deepened to 16.7 metres vis-à-vis standard sea level. It will be possible to handle vessels with a draught of 14.40 metres here. July 2005 saw the delivery of five container cranes from the firm of ZPMC in Shanghai. These container cranes have pylons 80 metres high, booms of 70 metres, and a lifting capacity of 65 tonnes, making them the largest cranes in Europe at the present time, and they command the skyline at the Waltershof Docks. Their booms reach across 23 container rows. This corresponds to ships with a beam of 55 metres and a cargo capacity of 12,000 to 14,000 TEUs. Thus this berth is fit for the future. For container ships with a capacity of 10,000 TEUs are already expected in the Port of Hamburg from 2009 onwards.
In his speech Emmanuel Schiffer, Chairman of the EUROGATE Board of Management, thanked Gunnar Uldall, Hamburg’s Senator for Trade & Industry, for his commitment. At the same time he appealed to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg to continue supporting the extension of handling facilities. “In July EUROGATE and the City of Hamburg concluded a project contract covering the westerly extension towards the Petroleumhafen. EUROGATE needs this westerly extension most urgently, for without this additional space we would reach the limit of our capacity by 2009. Apart from this, there are other questions which need to be solved, to ensure that Hamburg remains Europe’s second largest container port – so that perhaps it may even become Europe’s largest. These are the deepening of the Elbe and the link road to relieve traffic congestion in the Hamburg Docks.”
EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg expects to see double-digit growth in container handling for 2005. Handling figures will probably total some 2.7 million TEUs, which will be an increase of 17 percent on the previous year. EUROGATE intends to invest EUR 350 million (including the westerly extension) in its Hamburg facilities by 2010, creating 750 new jobs.
Gunnar Uldall, Hamburg’s Senator for Trade and Industry, said: “EUROGATE’s container terminal is one of the important economic driving forces of the Port of Hamburg. As Senator for Employment, I am particularly pleased with the announcement of 750 new jobs. And there’s more than that. Additionally, there will be a number of further jobs in the related service sectors. Wanting to support this marvellous development of the Port, the Senate will invest a total amount of 746 million Euro in the construction and modernisation of berths and infrastructure within a special investment programme.”
26 year partnership with Hanjin Shipping
Business relations began with Hanjin Shipping, the Korean shipping line, 26 years ago. It was on 22 March 1979 that the Korean Jacewon of the Korea Shipping Corporation (KSC) berthed at EUROKAI - now EUROGATE – en route to South Korea. The Korean Shipping Corporation was founded in 1950, and in 1988 it merged with Hanjin Container Lines Ltd., to form the Hanjin Shipping Company. In 1997, as a sign of friendship, EUROGATE established a “dedicated berth”, a berth available to this shipping line at any time. Today the modernised Berth 1 will be handed over to Hanjin Shipping as a “dedicated berth.” With a handling volume of over 400,000 TEU, Hanjin Shipping is the biggest customer of the EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg.
