Bremerhaven is investing €56 million: This is how the port is modernizing!

Bremerhaven is investing €56 million: This is how the port is modernizing!

A lot is happening in Bremerhaven on the rails, on the water and in the energy supply. Bremenports has announced a strong investment push that will expand the port and its hinterland connections in a future-oriented manner. From next year 2026, the Speckenbüttel port station will be modernized and the number of sidings will increase from 16 to 23. The entire project has an impressive volume of 56 million euros, as [binnenschifffahrt-online.de] reports.

The new tracks are controlled by an electronic signal box using the digital port railway system “Prinos”. Another highlight is the new “Rail Gate Bremerhaven” facility, which will go into operation on July 1, 2025. It includes six 740 meter long tracks and remote-controlled crane systems. After two years of construction, the capacity for combined transport will be increased here, which will ensure significantly better connections to the Bremerhaven ports.

Focus on the Bremerhaven container terminal

The Wilhelm Kaisen container terminal in Bremerhaven, which was the largest connected terminal in the world until 2010, is receiving support through these measures. With over 4.6 million TEU throughput in 2022, Bremerhaven is now among the top 10 largest container ports in Europe. According to [wikipedia.org], the first berth on the Stromkaje was inaugurated in 1971, and the continuous expansion of the terminal has promoted its development into a modern logistics hub.

The Bremerhaven ports can look back on a long history, which began in 1968 with container operations in the north port. A lot has happened since then: loading capacities have been increased through numerous measures, such as the deepening of the Outer Weser, which has allowed large container ships access since 1995. Since then, the port has repeatedly adapted to innovative challenges and is now a central hub for international trade.

Sustainability and infrastructure

Another important point are the plans to increase the shore power infrastructure. An agreement with Höegh Autoliners for the operation of shore power in the Nordhafen shows that environmental considerations also play a major role in current developments. In addition, the planning of additional shore power systems for the container and cruise ships, which are to be installed around the turn of the year, is in full swing.

The federal government has also provided additional financial resources for the ports in recent years. In the period from 2026 to 2029, for example, 400 million euros from the climate and transformation fund are to flow into maritime infrastructure in order to meet the requirements of the energy transition. A current report from [xpert.digital] points out that the ports play a central role in Germany's secure supply of energy and goods.

But the challenges don’t stop there either. While the expansion projects are picking up, the stability of frequency in freight transport during the construction phases will be a challenging task. Here, the dispatchers in the multimodal chain are required to ensure smooth transport even during construction work.

In summary, this comprehensive wave of investment in Bremerhaven not only brings new life to the port infrastructure, but is also an important step towards meeting the growing demands of trade and putting the future on a secure track.