New shore power station at Hamburg port aces first practical test with MSC containership

MSC Athens, a containership owned by Swiss Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has been charged with shore-side electricity in the first practical test for the newest shore-side power station of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA).

The first ship integration test was completed at HHLA Container Terminal Altedwerder (CTA) where 2013-built MSC Athens was supplied with the first test amounts of electricity from renewable sources.

The practical test was conducted jointly by HPA, HHLA, and MSC, with Powercon and Igus as technology partners for converters and connectors.

As informed, further test runs are planned to integrate the supply of container ships with shore-side power into regular operations in the Port of Hamburg soon.

Jan Hendrik Pietsch, Head of Sustainability at HHLA, commented on the milestone: “With the first successful test of the shore-side power station at CTA, we have come closer to the goal of installing modern power stations for the supply of shore-side electricity at all three HHLA container terminals in Hamburg. That is an important step towards climate-friendly port logistics. We are glad that our customers can thus charge their vessels during lay time with low-emission energy. This way, a further part of the supply chain can be decarbonised.”

Nils Kahn, Managing Director, MSC Germany, said: “The integration of shore power into our fleet is an important step towards sustainable shipping. We are pleased to be working with the Hamburg Port Authority and HHLA on this climate-friendly energy supply and to contribute to improving air quality in the Hanseatic city, because Hamburg and its port are important to us.”

In 2024, MSC also signed an agreement with HPA regarding the supply of electricity to its ships at the Eurogate Group’s Hamburg Container Terminal (CTH). Overall, the shipping company is said to own approximately 40 vessels that can be charged with shore power.

With the power station at CTA, the third shore-side power station for container ships in the Port of Hamburg is now in the transitional phase leading up to regular operations, the port authority noted, adding that the power station at HHLA Container Terminal Burchardkai is also expected to be ready this year.

“This would mean that shore-side electricity would be provided at all mega-ship berths from the end of the year. The expansion of this infrastructure is a central component for turning Hamburg into a future-proof, low-emission port city,” HPA concluded.