Hapag-Lloyd uses shore power in the Port of Hamburg

Hapag-Lloyd, the world's fifth-largest container shipping company, has signed an agreement with the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) to utilize shore power facilities at the Port of Hamburg. Under the agreement, Hapag-Lloyd has committed to using the available shore power infrastructure whenever operationally feasible, further integrating Onshore Power Supply (OPS) into the management of its vessel operations. The agreement covers shore power usage across all terminals in the port.

In recent weeks, the company's container vessels Al Muraykh and Tihama have successfully connected to the shore power system during port calls in Hamburg. Both vessels are deployed on the Asia–North Europe Service NE2, marking another step in Hapag-Lloyd's efforts to reduce emissions while at berth.

“Shore power is an important element on our path toward lower-emission vessel operations in ports and towards our goal of achieving net-zero fleet emissions by 2045. All our newbuildings are already shore-power ready, and we are retrofitting suitable vessels in the existing fleet accordingly. Wherever the infrastructure is available and its use makes operational sense, we use shore power. Hamburg demonstrates how investments in lower-emission vessel operations can be put into practice,” says Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

Shore power allows suitably equipped vessels to meet their electricity needs while berthed by connecting to the onshore power grid, reducing the need to run onboard auxiliary engines. This helps lower emissions and improve air quality in port areas. Currently, around 35% of Hapag-Lloyd's fleet is fully equipped to utilize shore power, supporting the company's ongoing efforts to enhance the environmental sustainability of its operations.