Port of Hamburg gets its ‘first’ remote-controlled container gantry cranes

December 17, 2024, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) has received three new highly automated container gantry cranes, “the first” of their kind at Germany’s Port of Hamburg.

With the ‘innovative’ remote-controlled cranes, logistics company Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) aims to increase the efficiency of its container ship handling operations.

The container gantry cranes arrived at CTA on board the special-purpose ship Zhong Ren 121 on December 14, 2024. They were delivered partially assembled from Ireland by German-Swiss company Liebherr.

With a total height of up to 120 meters when raised and a jib length of around 70 meters, they are equipped to handle ship sizes of up to 16,000 TEU.

The gantry cranes will be installed on the quayside of berth 1 at CTA by the end of December and then begin operating on a gradual basis. In the coming years, all of the 14 container gantry cranes at CTA will be replaced by highly automated models.

Manufacturing of the next three container gantry cranes has already started. They are expected to arrive at CTA in 2026.

“The arrival of the first remote-controlled container gantry cranes marks a key step in the modernisation of our terminals at the Port of Hamburg. With this investment, we are strengthening the competitiveness of our facilities and laying the foundation so that we can continue to offer our customers outstanding services in the future. Since its construction, CTA has shaped the standards within the industry and is once again leading the way today in innovation and efficiency,” Angela Titzrath, CEO of HHLA, commented.

As per HHLA, the new gantry cranes will enable ship processing to be even faster and more smoothly at CTA in the future. The cranes will be operated semi-automatically and remotely so that in the future, gantry crane operators will monitor and control them from a remote control station in the office building. Employees will also be able to rely on extensive automated assistance when loading and unloading the ships. In addition, the cranes have an optical character recognition (OCR) system that digitally records the containers automatically. This allows an automatic comparison to be made with the container information digitally registered in advance.

“The arrival of this innovative container gantry crane technology at CTA represents a significant advancement in terminal operations. This development is a key part of our ongoing efforts to enhance efficiency, further boost automation, and ensure the terminal remains sustainable and future-ready,” Rebecca Vick, Director Container Development Hamburg, said.

“In addition, we are committed to continuously investing in the development and training of our employees. To support the introduction of this innovative crane technology, we are implementing extensive qualification programs. Together with our team, we look forward to seamlessly integrating the new cranes into our operations,” Patrick Krawutschke, CTA Managing Director, explained.

A central element of the training is the work in a realistic simulation environment. The simulator developed for this purpose is being created as part of the DigiRemote2030 project. The cranes will begin operating on a gradual basis during 2025. First, the gantry cranes’ drive systems will begin operating, followed by the automated functions and remote control. Simultaneously, the container gantry cranes will be extensively tested. Adjustments to the IT system and the integration of the cranes into the terminal control system at CTA will also be required.

With the opening of CTA in 2002, HHLA made its mark on port logistics and paved the way for the future. New technologies that have proven successful at CTA are used today at terminal facilities worldwide.

The company has invested more than €1 billion in its Port Logistics subgroup in the last five years, around 40 percent of which has been spent on modernizing its container terminals in Hamburg.

To remind, HHLA’s CTA was recognized by TÜV NORD as the “world’s first” climate-neutral container handling facility, supporting the terminal operator’s goal of becoming climate neutral by 2040.