Container transport at CTA now fully electric, HHLA says

30 November 2023

Fleet at CTA successfully converted to battery-powered drive - fossil fuels no longer used

The Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) at Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG’s (HHLA) Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) are now fully battery-powered, a press release said Monday (November 27, 2023). As a result, HHLA can save around three million litres of diesel at CTA every year or the equivalent of 8,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The company is aiming for climate-neutral operations across the entire group by 2040.

CTA's leading role in sustainability

Oliver Dux, Director of Technology at HHLA, commented: “The now completed switch to battery-powered AGVs at CTA underlines once more the pioneering role of CTA with regard to sustainability, as we avoid thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions every year thanks to the reduced diesel consumption." The conversion of the AGV fleet at CTA is backed by the Ministry for Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture using funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the “Energiewende in Unternehmen” research project.

HHLA to become climate neutral by 2040

Dux added: "We will continue to invest in the electrification of the equipment of the other HHLA terminals to achieve climate-neutral operations across the Group by 2040.” CTA was certified as a climate-neutral company by TÜV NORD in August based on 14 container gantry cranes for seaborne handling, 52 portal cranes in the container block storage facility and the four rail gantry cranes, which are powered by green electricity. The use of battery-powered tractor units is also being tested at CTA and the company is seeking the full electrification of the tractor unit fleet at the terminal. Other procedures at CTA that are still causing CO2 emissions will be offset by compensation certificates to achieve HHLA's climate protection projects.

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