Hamburg Port on the Way to Becoming an Energy Hub

The Hamburg industry clusters Renewable Energies Hamburg, Hamburg Aviation, Hamburg Cruise Net, Logistics Initiative Hamburg, Maritime Cluster Northern Germany, and Port Hamburg Marketing e.V. held a joint information and exchange event for the fifth time yesterday, where the current status and development perspectives of hydrogen applications across different modes of transport on land, water, and in the air were discussed and informed. This year, it was conducted for the first time in cooperation with the Future Conference for Industry, Logistics, and Ports.

(Hamburg) The transformation of the Hamburg Port into an energy hub is already being brought to life by some companies in the Hamburg port economy, such as Mabanaft. The company is actively working to transform the location in Hamburg into a hub for alternative fuels like methanol and ammonia. The necessary permits have been applied for, and the company plans to be completed by 2027. However, the authorities are first in line. In addition to Hamburg, Brunsbüttel Ports has successfully established itself as an LNG hub. Furthermore, the port is positioning itself as an import terminal for green ammonia. Therefore, the approval processes remain essential for the transformation.

Dieter Janecek, a member of the German Bundestag and coordinator of the federal government for maritime economy and tourism, emphasized how important alternative fuels will be for the German economy: “We need a new generation of fuels to open up new growth perspectives for our economy: hydrogen is needed for the decarbonization of industry. Alternative fuels are increasingly in demand in shipping and air traffic due to international climate regulations. It is clear that Germany will remain an energy-importing country in the future. Ports will play a central role in the handling and further processing of climate-neutral fuels. The new federal government must invest vigorously in port infrastructure together with the states and the economy to ensure that Germany remains economically successful in the future.”

Legal Certainty for Major Projects Beyond Legislative Terms

A significant demand from the panelists was for legal certainty for major projects beyond legislative terms, as not all legislative processes have been completed yet. The political prerequisites for building infrastructure, such as for liquid hydrogen (LH2), should be established today, as otherwise the ramp-up would be critically delayed. LH2 would primarily be used in aviation, heavy-duty logistics, and parts of shipping, while derivatives like methanol would be particularly used in deep-sea shipping in intercontinental traffic. It was discussed whether it would be necessary to maintain every energy carrier everywhere in the future, or whether consumption centers would establish themselves instead. Regarding economic viability, it does not solely depend on suppliers, but ultimately also on end customers and consumers and their willingness to pay for green products.

Photo: © MCN / Klaudia Schmidt