Mega-port or green Elbe forest? Port expansion in Hamburg: A comprehensive project to secure the future of the container port

### Mega-port or green Elbe forest? Hamburg's most controversial project divides the city ### Noise, light & lost greenery: What the port expansion really means for residents along the Elbe ### Port only at 60% capacity? Why Hamburg is expanding for €2 billion anyway ### Billion-dollar project in the Port of Hamburg: This is how gigantic the largest expansion in decades will be ###

Hamburg's billion-dollar bet on the future: All the facts about the controversial port expansion

The Port of Hamburg is facing its largest and most controversial transformation in decades: the so-called western expansion. With a total investment volume of almost two billion euros, the Eurogate container terminal is to be massively expanded to ensure the port's competitiveness in the battle with the European giants Rotterdam and Antwerp. The project envisages reclaiming an area of ​​38 hectares – equivalent to more than 50 football fields – by filling in the petroleum port. The goal is to increase handling capacity by 50 percent to up to six million standard containers per year and to be able to handle even the world's largest container ships more efficiently with two new berths.

But while supporters see the expansion as an essential investment in the future, intended to pave the way to climate neutrality through automation and electrification, widespread opposition is forming. Critics and citizens' initiatives denounce the massive environmental impacts, including the destruction of an important green belt, and question the economic necessity of the project, arguing that the port is currently operating below capacity. Although all legal hurdles have been overcome and planning permission has been granted, the project is dividing the city and raising a key question: What price is Hamburg willing to pay for its position as a European logistics hub?

What is the Western Expansion Project?

What are the dimensions of the planned expansion project in the Port of Hamburg? The so-called Western Expansion represents the largest port expansion project in decades and includes several key components. The project envisages the expansion of the Eurogate container terminal by 38 hectares, equivalent to an area of ​​more than 50 football fields. This will include the construction of a quay wall more than one kilometer long and the creation of two new berths for large container ships and a feeder berth.

How will the project be implemented technically? The petroleum port behind the Eurogate terminal will be filled in to create the necessary space. At the same time, the turning circle for container ships at this location will be increased from the current 480 meters to 600 meters. This measure is intended to make navigation safer and more efficient, as large ships can currently only be turned within a two-and-a-half-hour window – with the extended turning circle, four hours could be used.

Financing and investment volume

How much will the entire project cost? Financing for the project is shared between two main players: The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) will invest approximately €1.1 billion in public infrastructure. Eurogate has also committed to investing at least €700 million in the expansion of the container terminal. This brings the total investment volume to nearly €2 billion.

How will the infrastructure be financed? The resulting land will remain in public ownership and will be leased by the HPA to Eurogate at market conditions. Since public financing is planned for the construction of the public infrastructure, the European Commission must approve the project. This review under state aid law can take several years. To ensure the greatest possible legal certainty, the HPA is also conducting an upstream ex-ante procedure, the results of which are expected in 2026.

Schedule and implementation

When will the project be realized? The infrastructure is scheduled to be completed by the Hamburg Port Authority by the mid-2030s. Eurogate plans to complete the container terminal expansion within two years of handing over the newly created land. Planning for the western expansion has been underway since the 1990s, and all lawsuits against the port expansion have since been dismissed.

What is the project's legal status? A valid planning approval decision has already been issued, and since 2022, after all legal actions were dismissed, building permits have been in place. In its ruling of May 12, 2021, the Hamburg Higher Administrative Court ruled that the planning approval decision for the western expansion is lawful. The Federal Administrative Court has also confirmed the legality of the project.

Capacity expansion and economic importance

What capacity increase will be achieved? The expansion is expected to increase the handling capacity of the Eurogate terminal at the Port of Waltershof from the current approximately four million standard containers (TEU) to up to six million TEU per year. This represents an increase of 50 percent. The western expansion would add two large-ship berths and one feeder berth with a total of approximately ten container gantry cranes, generating a theoretical capacity gain of up to two million TEU.

How does Hamburg compare with other European countries? With its four container terminals, the Port of Hamburg is the third-largest container port in Europe after Rotterdam and Antwerp. In the first half of 2025, 4.2 million TEU were handled, representing an increase of 9.3 percent. This represents stronger container throughput growth than its competitors in Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges. The theoretical total capacity of all four container terminals is approximately 13 million TEU per year, while actual throughput currently stands at around eight million TEU.

Modernization and automation

What technical innovations will the project bring? Eurogate is linking the expansion and modernization with the beginning of the transition from manual handling operations to an automated operating concept at its Hamburg site. Containers will be moved with electrically powered, automated vehicles in the future. The superstructures, large equipment, and IT infrastructure will be designed for an automated handling system for the entire terminal, including the expansion.

How does the project contribute to climate neutrality? Automated and electrified processes are intended not only to increase productivity but also to advance climate neutrality by 2040. The complete electrification of handling equipment is an important step toward decarbonization. The Port of Hamburg is already increasingly focusing on renewable energies and electrification – for example, 95 battery-electric vehicles powered by electricity from renewable sources are in operation at the HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder.

Environmental impacts and compensatory measures

What are the project's environmental impacts? Regarding environmental impacts, the planning approval decision clearly states that many animals and plants on the area near Övelgönne, which has been lying fallow for years, would be completely deprived of their habitat. The approximately one-kilometer-long green belt of trees between the container terminal and the Airbus site is to be removed for the planned expansion. Nesting boxes are planned as compensatory measures for certain bird species.

How are environmental concerns taken into account? The BUND (German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation) insists that concrete compensatory measures must first be agreed upon before the project can be assessed. The experts commissioned by the HPA concluded that genuine compensatory measures in the immediate vicinity are "simply not possible." To compensate for the development of other areas in the harbor, dry grassland areas were planned in the Vollhöfner meadows.

Criticism and resistance

What criticisms are being raised? A newly founded popular initiative called "Save the Elbe Forest" is sharply criticizing the project. According to their research with the Chamber of Commerce, the port is only operating at 60 percent capacity, which is why they believe the two new berths are unnecessary. The economic planning basis is long outdated – the planning approval decision, now almost ten years old, forecast container throughput of 14.5 million TEU for 2025, while the actual throughput in 2024 was just over half that, at 7.8 million TEU.

How are the residents reacting? Residents and residents of the directly opposite northern bank of the Elbe have lodged 250 objections. They fear that noise, pollutants, and massive floodlights would significantly impact the recreational area along the Elbe riverbanks from Övelgönne to Teufelsbrück. The nightly activities of the container handling operations can already be heard as far as Altona, Ottensen, and Bahrenfeld.

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.

More about it here:

• Container high-bay warehouses and container terminals: The logistical interaction – expert advice and solutions

Competitive situation and port competition

How is the competitive situation developing? In other North Sea ports, especially Antwerp and Rotterdam, huge new terminals have emerged in recent years. According to a study by the Hamburg School of Business Administration, some of these are technically much more advanced than the newest facility in Hamburg and therefore more productive. This is one reason why ports in neighboring countries have gained significantly, while Hamburg has lost throughput.

What alternatives are there? The Hamburg Chamber of Commerce proposes building a new container terminal in the Middle Harbor on Steinwerder. A new container terminal could increase competition in the port by bringing a third company to the port alongside the port operators HHLA and Eurogate. However, the City of Hamburg reacted cautiously to this proposal.

Logistical importance and hinterland connections

What role does hinterland connectivity play? Hamburg is by far the leading rail port in Europe. The equipping of all Hamburg container terminals with integrated rail terminals is a key contribution to this. Containerized hinterland traffic recorded approximately 5.2 million TEU in 2024, a good 100,000 standard units more than in 2023. On a tonnage basis, 83.1 million tons were recorded for hinterland transport.

How does the international connection work? The Port of Hamburg is connected to more than 900 ports in over 170 countries by shipping routes. As Germany's largest and Europe's third-largest container port, Hamburg plays an important distribution role for global flows of goods. Container throughput with the Far East grew by 10.7 percent in the first half of 2025, and with the Baltic Sea region by as much as 20.8 percent.

Technical challenges and ship sizes

What ship sizes can be handled? Currently, around 90 percent of the largest container ships arriving in Hamburg are handled at the Port of Waltershof. The expanded turning circle provides ships with a larger area of ​​water for turning maneuvers. A larger turning circle is intended to make it easier for container ships up to 400 meters in length to approach the Eurogate terminal. This could halve the time required for turning maneuvers to approximately 20 minutes.

What are the draft restrictions? The Port of Hamburg has modern container terminals designed to accommodate the world's largest container ships. These modern container gantry cranes can move two 40-foot containers or four 20-foot containers with a total weight of 110 tons in one lift. There are 23 of these giants at the HHLA Container Terminal Burchardkai, 18 of which are so-called megaship gantry cranes.

Planning history and approval procedures

How long has the planning been underway? Planning for the western expansion has been underway since the 1990s. The planning approval process for the western expansion was long underway, and it was important to plan and approve the expansion in such a way that it would withstand the expected subsequent judicial review.

What legal hurdles were overcome? All lawsuits against the port expansion have since been dismissed. In its ruling of May 12, 2021, the Hamburg Higher Administrative Court confirmed that the planning approval decision for the western expansion was lawful. The demand forecast underlying the planning approval decision was legally unobjectionable. The considerations regarding the tolerability of emissions for the neighborhood during the construction and operational phases also contained no fundamental errors.

Jobs and regional economy

What is the project's impact on jobs? The container port of Hamburg is a major employer, employing thousands of people directly or indirectly. The western expansion will contribute to securing the competitiveness of the Port of Hamburg and creating new jobs. The project is considered an important investment in the port's future competitiveness.

How does this affect regional development? Hamburg is hoping for financial support from Berlin for its port expansion. According to Senator for Economic Affairs Melanie Leonhard, the best solution would be for the federal government to provide a three-digit million amount annually to the northern German ports for new projects and infrastructure maintenance. The project is intended to further establish Hamburg as a hub for the most important shipping routes.

Sustainability and future technologies

What sustainability goals are being pursued? The port expansion is part of the path to climate neutrality by 2040. Containers will be moved by electric, autonomous vehicles in the future. The complete electrification of handling equipment is an important step toward decarbonization. The Port of Hamburg already relies on shore-based power for cruise ships and, increasingly, for container ships.

What innovative technologies are being used? The integration of digital and autonomous systems can increase the efficiency of the Port of Hamburg while simultaneously reducing its environmental impact. Intelligent warehouse management systems ensure optimal container placement and reduce unnecessary transport routes. Automated crane systems accelerate handling and reduce energy consumption. At the Altenwerder Container Terminal, small carriers are already operating autonomously and with electricity.

Impact on shipping traffic

How will nautical safety be improved? The expansion of the turning circle at the entrance from the Elbe River to Waltershofer Hafen will increase nautical safety and efficiency. All berths in Waltershofer Hafen will benefit from this measure, which will increase handling efficiency. Entry and exit to Hamburg's busiest container handling area will thus be safer and faster, and navigation on the Elbe River will be easier and more resilient.

Which ship types can be handled more effectively? Eurogate aims to increase handling capacity with additional berths for mega-ships and new container gantry cranes. This infrastructure will help ensure that mega-ships can continue to be handled reliably and efficiently in the Port of Hamburg. Hamburg is expanding its capacity and remains a hub for the most important shipping routes.

Land use and urban development

How is the area being developed? To create the new port operational area, soil from the eastern headland north of the Petroleum Harbor and along the Bubendey embankment will be excavated. This will fill the existing harbor basin, which has been separated from the water by a dam. The project also includes the removal of the Höftspitzen and the raising of certain areas.

What impact will this have on the city's structure? The green belt of trees between the container terminal and the Airbus site is slated to disappear. Anyone sitting on the Elbe beach in Hamburg-Övelgönne will look directly at this approximately one-kilometer-long row of trees, which will make way for the port expansion. The newly created port area is designed to accommodate a variety of port uses, as expected based on current planning.

Market development and forecasts

How have the throughput figures developed? Container throughput in the Port of Hamburg reached 7.8 million TEU in 2024, representing slight growth of 0.9 percent. In the first half of 2025, 4.2 million TEU were handled – an increase of 9.3 percent. This means Hamburg grew faster than its competitor ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges. However, trade with the USA collapsed by 19.3 percent due to uncertain customs policy.

What are the long-term forecasts? Recent forecasts confirm that the Port of Hamburg continues to have significant growth potential. The original planning approval decision forecast container throughput of 14.5 million TEU for 2025, but this has proven to be too optimistic. New studies have revised the growth forecast downward, predicting only an increase to 13.1 million standard containers by 2035.

Eurogate as terminal operator

What role does Eurogate play in the Port of Hamburg? Eurogate is one of the four major terminal operators in the Port of Hamburg and handles approximately one-third of all containers there. The other three container terminals belong to Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA). The Eurogate terminal shares the Waltershofer Port with the Burchardkai container terminal opposite. Eurogate operates a total of ten ocean-going vessel terminals in Europe.

How are Eurogate's throughput figures developing? From January to September 2024, Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg handled almost 1.5 million container units, an increase of 1.8 percent compared to the same period last year. Eurogate GmbH & Co. KGaA, KG is 50 percent owned by Hamburg-based Eurokai KGaA and Bremen-based BLG Logistics Group AG & Co. KG.

The western expansion project thus represents a key element for the future viability of the Port of Hamburg. With an investment volume of almost two billion euros, state-of-the-art automation technology, and a significant capacity expansion, Hamburg is expected to not only maintain but further expand its position as one of Europe's most important container ports. Despite justified environmental concerns and legal disputes, the project is considered essential for the location's competitiveness and is scheduled for completion by the mid-2030s.

Markus Becker

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Konrad Wolfenstein

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