Published on: August 3, 2025 / Updated on: August 3, 2025 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein
Container terminal logistics in inland Europe: Container high-bay warehouse for inland ports and the domestic market – Creative image: Xpert.Digital
Increasing efficiency in container logistics through high-bay warehouse technology
Automation meets container handling: New solutions for growing trade flows
As global trade continues to grow and container flows steadily increase, traditional handling methods are reaching their limits. The answer to this challenge comes from an unexpected direction: industrial heavy-duty intralogistics. What has proven itself for decades in steel mills and production halls is now revolutionizing container logistics – the automated high-bay warehouse.
From vision to reality
The idea is strikingly simple yet revolutionary: Instead of stacking containers horizontally on top of each other on large surfaces, as was previously the case, they are stored vertically in enormous shelving systems. Each container has its own, permanently assigned storage space and is directly accessible at any time – without time-consuming restacking.
This seemingly simple solution addresses one of the biggest problems of traditional container logistics. In conventional container yards, an average of 30 to 60 percent of all container movements are spent simply restacking other containers to reach a specific container. These unproductive movements cost time, energy, and money.
The technology behind it
At the heart of modern container high-bay warehouses are fully automated storage and retrieval machines, which move with impressive precision through the aisles between the rows of shelves. These can effortlessly handle containers weighing up to 40 tons – a technology originally developed for handling heavy steel coils in the metal industry.
The systems achieve impressive performance values:
- Stack heights of 7 to 18 layers (compared to a maximum of 4-6 layers with conventional systems)
- Turnover speeds of up to 22 moves per hour
- Triple storage capacity on the same floor space
- Direct access to each individual container without restacking
The German innovation lead
Germany is a global pioneer in container high-bay warehouse technology. A long-established German plant manufacturer, together with an international port operator, has developed a groundbreaking system that was awarded the prestigious German Logistics Prize in 2022.
From heavy industry to the port revolution
The roots of this revolutionary technology lie in German heavy industry. Over decades, fully automated high-bay warehouses for metal coils weighing up to 50 tons were developed in steel mills. This proven technology has been successfully adapted to the specific requirements of container logistics – containers are no longer stacked on top of each other, but stored in fixed shelves like a giant bookshelf.
The award-winning system enables the storage of containers on up to eleven levels in a 50-meter-high steel rack. Each container is directly accessible without the need to restack other containers. This eliminates the biggest inefficiency of traditional container storage facilities, where 30 to 60 percent of all movements are unproductive restacking.
Impressive performance data
The technology offers up to three times more storage capacity in the same space than conventional systems. Handling speed at the quay is increased by up to 20 percent. Particularly noteworthy is that the system operates entirely emission-free using electrical energy and can be operated CO2-neutrally thanks to photovoltaic systems on the roof.
The first facility went into operation as a proof-of-concept in Dubai in 2021. By the end of June 2022, over 150,000 container movements had been completed there under realistic conditions.
German expertise in heavy-duty intralogistics
In addition to the award-winning system, other German companies have established themselves as leading providers. They all share expertise in heavy-duty intralogistics and the ability to develop complex automation solutions:
- A Finnish crane manufacturer with a strong German presence has developed an innovative system that enables storage heights of up to 14 levels
- A plant manufacturer from Weinsberg transfers decades of experience from heavy-duty intralogistics to container logistics with modular concepts for up to eight levels
- An Austrian company built one of the world's first container high-bay warehouses for the Swiss Army in 2011
Technological excellence
The German systems are based on:
- High-precision storage and retrieval machines with telescopic grippers and frequency-controlled drives
- Consistent software architecture with intelligent warehouse control systems
- Modular design for gradual scaling without interruption of operations
- Digital twins for simulation and optimization
- Predictive Maintenance for forward-looking maintenance
German port technology companies achieve an annual production value of over 23 billion euros in the value chain.
Promoting innovation and future prospects
The German Federal Government is actively supporting this development through the “Innovative Port Technologies” (IHATEC) funding program, which has been allocated 64 million euros until 2025.
German ports are massively pushing ahead with automation. Hamburg operates one of the most modern and highly automated terminals in the world. Germany's largest container terminal is currently being automated – the largest automation project in the history of the German port industry.
The future belongs to further digitalization: 5G campus networks enable real-time communication for autonomous vehicles. Artificial intelligence optimizes storage strategies and traffic flows.
Through these innovations, Germany is consolidating its position as a leading export nation and technology leader in port logistics.
Inland ports as new logistics centers
The importance of this technology is particularly evident in Germany's inland ports. The Port of Duisburg, Europe's largest inland port, handles over 50 million tons of goods annually, including 3.6 million TEU containers. With the opening of the Duisburg Gateway Terminal in September 2024, the largest container terminal in inland Europe will be created here, offering an additional capacity of 850,000 TEU when fully developed.
But Duisburg isn't the only city benefiting from this development. Modern container terminals are being built along Germany's waterways – from the Rhine through the Main to the Elbe – as trimodal hubs that optimally connect water, rail, and road:
- Hamburg with its inland port share of 12.2 million tonnes
- Cologne with 15.6 million tons of total throughput
- Mannheim with 8.3 million tons
- Karlsruhe with 6.5 million tons
The advantages of the vertical revolution
The implementation of container high-bay warehouses brings a variety of advantages:
Space efficiency
Three times as many containers can be stored on the same floor space. This represents a decisive competitive advantage in times of scarce and expensive commercial space.
speed
Handling times for trucks and trains are reduced by up to 20 percent. Every container is immediately accessible without having to move other containers.
sustainability
Energy consumption is reduced by up to 29 percent compared to conventional systems. Many systems can also be operated CO2-neutrally with photovoltaics on the roofs.
economics
Despite higher initial investments, the systems pay for themselves through lower operating costs, higher throughput and better space utilization.
Challenges and solutions
Of course, automation also brings challenges. The initial investment is significant – a fully equipped high-bay warehouse can cost several hundred million euros. Furthermore, the technology requires specialized maintenance personnel and is less flexible than manual systems.
But the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, especially in high-frequency environments. With more than 150 container movements per day, automation is already paying for itself. The systems operate around the clock, regardless of shift schedules or staffing shortages.
The future of container transport
The containerization of global trade is progressing inexorably. In Germany alone, over 13.3 million TEU were handled in seaports in 2024. A large portion of these containers must be transported inland – a task increasingly being performed by automated high-bay warehouses.
The technology not only enables more efficient handling but also new logistics concepts. For example, inland ports can act as buffer storage facilities that balance fluctuations in maritime traffic. Containers can be stored there temporarily and distributed to recipients as needed.
Sustainability as a driver
A key aspect of the new technology is its sustainability. Inland waterway transport produces only a fraction of the CO2 emissions of road transport per tonne-kilometer. One inland waterway vessel can carry the cargo of up to 150 trucks.
Modern container terminals also rely on electric drives, energy recovery, and renewable energies. Hamburg's Altenwerder Container Terminal, for example, already operates virtually CO2-neutrally using electric automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and green electricity.
The European context
The development of container high-bay warehouses takes place in the context of the European single market, which, with over 440 million consumers, represents one of the largest economic areas in the world. The free movement of goods within the EU requires efficient logistics solutions that support cross-border supply chains.
German technology companies are already exporting their high-bay warehouse systems worldwide. Following successful pilot projects in Dubai, commercial installations are now underway in South Korea, and further projects in Europe, America, and Asia are in the planning stages.
Integration into existing systems
A crucial success factor is the seamless integration of high-bay warehouses into existing port infrastructure. The systems must be compatible with existing container cranes, transport vehicles, and IT systems. Modern systems therefore have standardized interfaces and can be implemented step by step.
Digitalization plays a key role here. All container movements are recorded and optimized in real time. Predictive analytics enable forward-looking maintenance and maximum asset availability.
How container high-bay warehouses shape the logistics of tomorrow
Container high-bay warehouse technology is still in its early stages of development. Experts predict strong growth in the coming years, driven by increasing handling volumes, space constraints, and sustainability requirements.
New developments such as foldable containers that address the empty container problem or the integration of artificial intelligence to further optimize processes will further increase efficiency.
For the European single market, this means increased competitiveness. Efficient logistics is a key location factor, and German innovations in container high-bay warehouse technology are setting global standards.
Heavy-duty intralogistics has thus proven that proven industrial technologies can be successfully transferred to new application areas. What began in steel mills is now revolutionizing global container logistics – made in Germany.
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Container high-bay warehouses and container terminals: The logistical interplay – Expert advice and solutions – Creative image: Xpert.Digital
This innovative technology promises to fundamentally change container logistics. Instead of stacking containers horizontally as before, they are stored vertically in multi-tiered steel rack structures. This not only enables a drastic increase in storage capacity within the same space but also revolutionizes the entire processes in the container terminal.
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