Container terminal upgrade in Wilhelmshaven, Germany: Laying out the future
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Wilhelmshaven, Germany's only deep-water port, has continued to advance and make significant progress since launching the 2.0 automation upgrade project with a total investment of 150 million euros in 2022, laying a solid foundation for future development.
New Port Machinery helps automation transformation
Last week, EUROGATE Wilhelmshaven Container Terminal officially launched two of the latest remote-controlled container terminals, marking an important milestone in the terminal's automation transformation.
These two port cranes designed by Liebherr are the first cranes of the same type introduced and used in German seaports. Different from the traditional on-site operation method, the operator can complete container ship loading and unloading operations while sitting in front of the control console in the terminal office building.
These port machines adopt a double-cart design, which enables seaside and landside operations to be carried out separately and simultaneously, greatly reducing the waiting time for operations.The loading and unloading efficiency of a single machine has been increased by 40% to 45 containers per hour.
Heightening and reconstruction of existing port machinery
In addition to the new port machine, as an important part of the 2.0 automation upgrade project,Last year, EUROGATE raised the height of eight existing port cranes in Wilhelmshaven by 11 meters, bringing the lifting height to 54 meters.This ensures that the next generation of ultra-large container ships are not restricted by tidal fluctuations and can operate smoothly around the clock.
Expand investment in port equipment
In addition to shore equipment, Wilhelmshaven also purchased 23 new straddle carriers to enhance the port's internal transshipment capacity. At the end of June, the number of truck lanes was expanded from 12 to 16. The Wilhelmshaven Railway Station has just launched a railway gate with an OCR system. Through the use of intelligent camera systems and advanced software, the process of railway operations has been greatly accelerated. The fourth gantry crane at the railway yard is also about to be put into use.
These measures will greatly improve the efficiency of cargo transportation between sea and land and provide customers with faster and smoother logistics services.
future outlook
As the only German port currently called by the world's three major shipping alliances, Wilhelmshaven has close ties with Chinese ports. The three direct Asia-Europe routes of Ocean Alliance (AEU1/LL1/FAL5/NE1), THE Alliance (FE2) and 2M Alliance (AE5/Albatros) include Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Yantian and Nansha. A major domestic foreign trade port. The recently resumed Hapag-Lloyd China-German Express has shortened the sailing time from Yantian to Wilhelmshaven to 43 days.
Wilhelmshaven’s 2.0 automation upgrade project demonstrates its long-term development strategic vision and consolidates its unique advantages as a shipping hub in Northwest Europe. With the launch of the "Gemini Cooperation" between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk in early 2025, as one of the selected new alliance hub ports, Wilhelmshaven is fully prepared for future development.
