Elbe Ports Brunsbüttel and Glückstadt

Brunsbüttel Ports GmbH

The Port Group Brunsbüttel – which includes the Elbeport, the Oilport and the Port of Ostermoor – and its range of maritime services centred on commercial shipping have developed continuously.

With its strategic location on the Lower Elbe and at the Kiel Canal, Brunsbüttel provides direct access to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, close proximity to Hamburg, connections to the European network of inland waterways, and industrial sites available close to the port. These advantages make the ports in Brunsbüttel into an excellent transhipment centre for the largest contiguous industrial region in Northern Germany and the Hamburg metropolitan region. Brunsbüttel Ports GmbH provides services in the areas of cargo handling, warehousing, transhipment and project logistics for customers from the greater Hamburg region as well as throughout Germany and abroad.

Plans to further develop the Elbeport and its connections to the hinterland are strategically based on the concept of an universal port offering a high degree of flexibility.

Elbeport Brunsbüttel – an Universal Port

The Elbeport Brunsbüttel is now an universal port strongly oriented towards providing customer service and logistical competence. Brunsbüttel has efficient transport connections to truck, train, feeder and barge transportation both at the land-sea interface and for hinterland transports. Thus it is an optimal logistics hub.

A focus on the promising area of bulk cargoes and a strong specialization in project logistics will supplement the previous areas of growth. The Brunsbüttel Ports see fast turnaround, high levels of productivity, safety and reliability as central competitive factors in meeting the challenges of the future. Port expansion is actively being promoted to make Brunsbüttel with its hinterland areas an even more attractive site for customers and especially for investors.

Contract Logistics (Copper Concentrates) in the Elbeport

It was a major achievement for the Brunsbüttel Ports in 2007 when they gained a contract to handle raw materials (copper ore) for Norddeutsche Affinerie in Hamburg. This involves investments of around 38 million Euros in warehousing, handling equipment and facilities. This was a quantum jump for the Brunsbüttel Ports and shows their strategic determination to safeguard the site and jobs for the future. The Norddeutsche Affinerie project created around 40 new jobs in the Brunsbüttel Ports and the Schramm Group. That means the ports now employ almost 100 people.

The Brunsbüttel Ports have been handling around 1.5 million metric tons of copper concentrates annually for the Norddeutsche Affinerie since 2007. The ore is discharged, stored and transhipped to Hamburg in special Futura Carrier ships owned by the company. Up to 23 different types of copper concentrates are also blended in Brunsbüttel.

Handling Wind Power Projects in the Elbeport

A further important area of growth is the field of wind power projects. The port handles components like nacelles, hubs and rotors for various producers. The Brunsbüttel Ports have specialised in this field and are able to respond quickly and flexibly to customers’ demands.

Oilport Brunsbüttel

The Oilport is located on the Kiel Canal right by the Brunsbüttel canal locks. It handles a broad spectrum of liquid refinery products.

Port of Ostermoor Brunsbüttel

The Port of Ostermoor is also on the Kiel Canal near the Brunsbüttel locks. The port was built in 1975 to provide transport services for the nearby industries (Bayer AG Werk Brunsbüttel / TOTAL Bitumen Deutschland GmbH / Yara Brunsbüttel GmbH).

Port of Glückstadt

The Port of Glückstadt is located on the international shipping route on the Elbe River, right in the vicinity of Hamburg, and is thus an ideal location for regional transport for bulk and general cargo. The seaport in Glückstadt serves a whole range of industries in areas such as the paper, cement and wood branches, as well as power plants. Agricultural products such as fertilizer, feed and grain are also handled in the port. Its special location also makes it an important site for transhipment between barges and seagoing vessels. The port has a special high capacity crane that can also handle heavy lifts. Specialised facilities, modern equipment, and highly qualified personnel ensure the port’s customers optimal service. The neighbouring ports in Brunsbüttel and Glückstadt are able to make good use of synergy effects, as well.