Container Ports: Will Dubai overtake Hamburg?

A look at the ranking of the world's foremost container ports in 2004 shows Dubai Ports already as number 10 with a throughput of 6,429 thousand TEU's (TEU: 20-foot standard containers) closely behind Hamburg at number nine position with 7,003 thousand TEU's.

The difference, however is, that Dubai Ports achieved an incredible growth rate of 23-25 per cent over the last three years, which can only be compared with the rise of Shanghai and Shenzen Ports. Hence a change in the ranking of Dubai and Hamburg is quite predictable.

Hamburg, the largest German deep-sea port, in 2004 recorded a growth of 14.2 per cent compared with the previous year, which is no mean achievement by EU standards. Hamburg, too, saw double-digit growth in container handling for the fourth year in succession, making it the number two in Europe after Rotterdam (8,281 TEU's in 2004).

Hamburg gateway to Asia

In the past decade, Hamburg has increasingly become not only Germany's, but Europe's gate to South East Asia with more than half of the containers handled in the port coming from or going to that region. Dubai is an important port of call en route with major shipping companies like APL, ANL, CMA/CGM and Combitainer providing weekly services to the Gulf.

The competitive edge of Hamburg over other European ports is the big rivers Rhine and Elbe and the excellent network of canals, which also provide direct access for ocean-going vessels to the Baltic. Hamburg's visible trade with Poland, Russia, Hungary and the Czech Republic is forecast to rise around 70 per cent by 2010.

The rapidly increasing demand, however, calls for huge investments in the infrastructure on the water, road and rail side; the speed and the quality of transport to the hinterland sometimes is still a bottleneck; the bed of river Elbe has to be deepened further, new ship berths and massive new high-grade storage and handling facilities have to be provided; a government involvement in the 'Private Floodwater Protection in the Port' still awaits decision.

Hamburg with a port tradition of over 800 years excels in terms of reliability and safety, and the experience and know-know of the North German specialists are in great demand internationally.

Bengt von Beuningen, spokesman for the Hamburg Port Authority told AME Info that the Hamburg Port Training Institute in liaison with consultants from Dubai recently run a seminar for 25 officers of the Dubai Port Police to introduce them to the new framework of international port safety rules and regulations.

Praise from Dubai

The head of Dubai Port Police, colonel Abdul Rahman, had praised the good organisation of the seminar and the excellent course programme. HPC, the Hamburg Port Consulting GmbH, has developed a close and trusting cooperation with Dubai Port Authority.

HPC's engineering department, headed by Klaus Riebensam, this year reviewed technical specifications for DPA and provided construction supervision and handover services for cranes and gantries.

Both Messrs von Beuningen and Riebensam set great store on the fact that Hamburg and Dubai are no rivals, but partners with a common goal: building global trade to the benefit of all.