CTA: first climate-neutral handling facility
One area of activity is the Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA), which was certified by TÜV Nord in 2019 as the world's first climate-neutral handling facility for containers. According to the company, the Hamburg quay facility is one of the most technologically advanced and efficient container terminals in the world and has undergone continuous development since its commissioning in 2002. The CTA is now mainly powered by green electricity. Terminal processes that still cause carbon dioxide emissions today are gradually being converted to electrified operation or the conversion is being tested.

HHLA uses emission reduction certificates to offset the carbon dioxide emissions still being emitted and supports climate-friendly projects that are certified to the highest gold standard in accordance with Voluntary Emission Reduction (VER): Wind turbines in India, low-friction antifouling paints for ship hulls and the reforestation of rainforest in Panama. Next year, CTA's carbon footprint will be audited again by TÜV Nord. It can be assumed that the need for offsetting will then decrease as the electrification of the terminal continues.

Carbon dioxide-neutral transport chains from the port to the hinterland
In addition to the further optimization of its own facilities, networking with other logistics players holds further potential. With HHLA Pure, the company has developed a product that can ensure carbon-neutral transport chains from the port to the European hinterland, thus making an important contribution to reducing transport-related CO2 emissions. HHLA combines Hamburg's strength as Europe's largest rail port with the environmentally friendly rail transportation of the intermodal company Metrans. The HHLA subsidiary relies on energy-efficient electric locomotives and lightweight wagons, with which a larger number of containers can be transported with the same train length.

The forwarding company Jakob Weets and the transport logistics company cargo-partner, for whom Metrans carries out container transports from the Port of Hamburg to Central and Eastern Europe, were acquired as pilot customers. If the handling and rail transport of a 20-foot container from the CTA to Prague, for example, almost 700 km away, leaves a CO2 footprint of around 80 kg per standard container (TEU), this certified value can be offset with HHLA Pure. The offer gives customers the opportunity to organize container transports in a climate-friendly way and at the same time increase their own competitiveness. Following the successful test phase, HHLA Pure will be launched on the market in 2020.

"We scrutinize every process optimization and every new technical development not only in terms of its cost-effectiveness and benefits for our customers, but also with regard to its sustainability," said Titzrath. "As a 'gateway to the future', HHLA sees innovation and technical excellence as the key to fulfilling our responsibility and developing sustainable solutions."