Advancing Renewable Energy Initiatives In The Port Of Hamburg

167

  • Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and Hamburger Energiewerke (HEnW) establish a joint venture to drive the decarbonization efforts at the Port of Hamburg.
  • The joint venture, named “Erneuerbare Hafenenergie Hamburg GmbH,” aims to expand renewable energies, including photovoltaics and wind power, within the port area.
  • Dr. Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economics, sees the opportunity for the port to contribute significantly to decarbonization, especially by utilizing previously unused areas.
  • Future ground-mounted PV and wind power plants will primarily supply HPA and local port companies with green harbor electricity. HEnW will operate the plants and manage the distribution of the generated renewable electricity to consumers.

Collaborative Venture For Port Decarbonization

Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and Hamburger Energiewerke (HEnW) are collaborating to advance the decarbonization efforts of the Port of Hamburg. Their joint venture, “Erneuerbare Hafenenergie Hamburg GmbH,” aims to enhance the presence of renewable energies, such as photovoltaics and wind power, within the port. The partnership involves the development of renewable energy solutions, and both companies will contribute their expertise and capabilities on an equal footing to manage the new venture.

The HPA is responsible for the management and development of the areas in the harbor and is also an electricity consumer. HEnW has the necessary experience for the planning, construction, and operation of plants for the production of renewable energies. They also have energy industry expertise and operate in the electricity market. As a first step, specific projects with a total potential of around 70 megawatts will be analyzed as part of feasibility studies. In addition, further areas for further expansion in the harbor are continuously being examined.

Senator For Economics And Innovation

Jens Kerstan, Senator for the Environment, Climate, Energy, and Agriculture: “This unique cooperation between the municipal companies Hamburger Energiewerke and HPA will drive forward the decarbonization of the port. A large proportion of the electricity requirements of the port industry, the HPA, and the port companies will now be covered by renewable energies such as wind power and PV systems in the medium term. Hamburg has already succeeded in installing wind turbines in the particularly difficult harbor environment. This is rare in Europe and unique in Germany. The new company will further consolidate this. In Hamburg, we are shaping the energy transition in all areas and setting standards. And I am grateful that with HEnW and HPA, two important municipal companies are now also pulling together in this area.”

Dr Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economics and Innovation: “The Port of Hamburg is an international logistics hub and an important industrial area. In addition to the production, processing, and handling of goods, the port also contributes to the energy supply – and in the future, its own needs will increasingly be met by generating energy on port land. In particular, the additional use of previously unused areas – such as the roofs of halls and warehouses or peripheral areas – offers the opportunity to make an important contribution to decarbonization.”

HPA Managing Director

Michael Prinz, Managing Director of Hamburger Energiewerke: “Erecting wind turbines in the harbor is no trivial matter, as the approval requirements there are much stricter than on greenfield sites. In addition to nature conservation concerns and air traffic, special operating conditions must also be taken into account to ensure that the wind turbines fit in smoothly with the local infrastructure and the operations of the companies based there. We have already erected six turbines in the harbour and therefore have the experience to build and operate renewable energies in this urban area. Even if it won’t be easy, we are very pleased to be working with the HPA to drive forward the expansion of ground-mounted PV systems and wind power in Hamburg.”

Friedrich Stuhrmann, Managing Director of the Hamburg Port Authority: “The HPA sees its sustainable actions as a worthwhile task for the future. For this reason, we are committed to forward-looking and innovative technologies and their use in the port in the interests of decarbonization. Having intensively promoted shore-side power supply in recent years, we would also like to play an active role in the expansion of renewable energy generation in the port area. With Hamburger Energiewerke, we have a strong partner at our side here. The energy transition requires considerable investment, but it also offers many opportunities that we want to utilize intelligently. Being close to consumers saves transmission routes and therefore costs.”

The company is to be founded in the spring of this year, subject to a positive outcome of the audit per the state budget regulations. The future ground-mounted PV and wind power plants will primarily supply the HPA and local port companies with green harbor electricity. HEnW will be responsible for operating the plants, which will then also handle the renewable electricity generated and supply it to the electricity consumers.

Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?

It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe

Source: Hafen-Hamburg