Page 21 - Port of Hamburg Magazine - 01.19

Hamburg Senate. In premises belonging to HHLA Real Estate, in the historic Speicherstadt, this is put- ting horse-power on the road.
HHLA’s announcement of founding a joint venture with the US based Hyperloop Transportation Techno- logies has received international attention. Some peo- ple think that it was only a nice PR gag. Will containers soon be travelling close to the speed of sound?
Why not? When, in December 1835, the first train ran between Nuremberg and Fürth, no one could have imagined that trains would one day reach speeds above 200 kilometres per hour. Our joint-venture partner HTT has already successfully tested the first components for transporting people. Now it’s a question of transferring the technology to freight transport. At a HHLA container terminal in the Port of Hamburg, together we want to develop a type of terminus, where sea containers can be sent into, or emerge from, a tube system. That HTT should choose Hamburg as a test bed, demonstrates once again how attractive the city and port are for innovation.
What is HHLA’s intention with this joint venture in the near future?
Intelligent mobility solutions, such as Hyperloop tech- nology, can make a significant contribution to relie- ving transport infrastructure around the port. This in turn would mean reducing air pollution. Our aim is to develop this technology.
The port is recognized as the main cause of exces- sive air pollution in Hamburg. What can a company like HHLA do for climate protection?
Firstly, I share the view of First Mayor, Peter Tschentscher, that climate policy must not be hos- tile to growth. Bans, rules and regulations are un- productive. Industry is part of the climate protection solution. For many years, as part of its sustainability business model, HHLA has been making great efforts that have also been recognized by the independent German sustainability council. Our terminal in Alten- werder was the first worldwide to be certified as a ‘zero emissions’ terminal. The services offered by our rail subsidiary Metrans are geared towards shifting more freight traffic from road to rail. ■
Port of Hamburg Magazine | March 2019 | 21
FUTURE PORT ■