HAMBURG NEEDS NEW BOX TERMINAL

The new Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) terminal being developed adjacent to the port’s largest container terminal facility, operated by Maritima Valenciana, is expected to commence operations in June/July 2006 and the unofficial word on the street is that Maritima Valenciana will operate this facility on behalf of MSC. Given the large volume of traffic that MSC now moves through the Maritima Valenciana facility and the inevitable movement of containers between the two facilities that will take place, especially in the start-up phase of the MSC terminal, this arrangement makes a lot of practical sense.

Hamburg’s federation of port companies (UVHH) is lobbying the port authority for the construction of an entirely new container terminal. According to the group, upgrading of existing facilities will not be sufficient to cope with new traffic volumes which went up by 13.7% in the first three quarters of 2005.