With the continuing growth in the size of the vessels coming to the Port of Lu¨beck, the volume of project cargo reaching the port is also increasing, writes Managing Director Sebastian Ju¨rgens. This includes, for example, rotors for wind turbines, which can be transported on the larger vessels. In discussions with customers, Lu¨beck’s port operator LHG has learned that they would like to handle this type of cargo with the port even more frequently in future. The port is therefore preparing for this in a variety of ways, and is now well prepared.
Lu¨beck’s port operator LHG is currently mainly focused on the RoRo and forestry products sector. This will remain the case in the future. Beyond this, the port knows how to handle complex, valuable cargo and have good references in the high & heavy sector. LHG’s handling staff have gained this experience when handling paper rolls, for example. There must be absolutely no damage, otherwise the paper roll cannot be used for subsequent processing in the print shop. This valuable expertise also helps the port to handle other breakbulk projects.
LHG has responded to customer demand by repurposing its Nordlandkai terminal. Today it is a multifunctional terminal for the handling and storage of steel, bulk goods, building materials, general and high & heavy cargo. For this purpose, it has a handling area of almost 500,000m2 available. This includes 170,000m2 of covered storage space, which enables it to guarantee loading regardless of the weather. There is also a 100-tonne mobile crane available for handling containers, steel products and project loads.
One of the port’s customers in this area is a steel trading partner from the region. This customer has rented Shed 93 at Nordlandkai. Up to 250 tonnes of reinforcing steel per day are processed here on an area of around 10,000m2, in addition to many other steel components. The steel arrives on large ocean-going vessels.
Pure bulk goods are also playing an increasingly important role. Many large construction sites in northern Germany are supplied via the port’s facilities. A company from Hamburg handles around 100,000 tonnes of mineral building materials at Lu¨beck every year. In addition, the port handles, for example, gravel stones for the renewal of railway lines or fertilizer and feedstuffs in bulk or in big bags.
The export of woodchips, which are shipped from Nordlandkai to Denmark and burnt in power plants for energy generation, is also growing strongly.
LHG does not see itself purely as a port operator, but as a logistics partner with many possibilities. This applies not only to the growing dry bulk and breakbulk business, but also to its traditional RoRo and forest products activities. LHG helps its customers to set up transport and logistics chains. And it still has many new ideas for this.