Record season for Hamburg's cruise industry in 2022

1 December 2022

280 ship calls and over 750,000 passengers expected by end of 2022 - shore power expansion tops agenda

Cruise Gate Hamburg GmbH (CGH) has drawn a positive, preliminary balance of the 2022 season with 280 ship calls, 49 different ships, ten first calls and an expected 750,000 passengers by the end of this year. The record season has surpassed pre-pandemic levels in 2019 when 210 ships called. Business is expected to go full steam ahead in 2023 with 284 cruise ship calls and 37 calls by river cruise ships, according to the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA). The expansion of shore power facilities should make the Port of Hamburg even more sustainable. The infrastructure will be available at all permanent cruise terminals from 2025.

Shore power to reduce emissions

Simone Maraschi, Managing Director of CGH, stressed: "Cruise travel in Hamburg has made a strong comeback after two years of corona-induced restrictions." The strong demand for cruise travel from Hamburg is also driving the expansion of shore power infrastructure, which is expected to make cruise tourism even more sustainable. Jens Meier, CEO of HPA, said: "Ports play a crucial role in decarbonization and air pollution control. Shore power enables us to significantly reduce ships' emissions during their layovers in the Port of Hamburg, which is sending a clear signal for more environmental protection by expanding shore power rapidly."

All permanent terminals to go electric by 2040

Cruise ships at the Cruise Center Steinwerder will be supplied with green electricity from the second half of 2023. The new Cruise Center HafenCity, currently under construction, will be connected to the grid from 2025 making Hamburg one of the first European ports to offer both cruise ships and container ships shore-side electricity at berth, according to HPA. Hopes are now high that all the permanent terminals will be electric by 2040. The Altona shore power facility was used 30 times in 2022. Four ships tested external power supply, and twelve ships are due to carry out similar tests in 2023. After a successful test, the ships certify their use of the shore power system regularly during their lay times. Talks are underway with cruise lines to prepare more ships for shore power in Hamburg, Maraschi said.
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