Hapag-Lloyd announced that on June 13, the almost 20,000 TEU "Al Zubara" made the first-ever call of a Hapag-Lloyd-owned vessel in the FE2 service at the Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven (CTW).

It noted that since April 2023, JadeWeserPort in Wilhelmshaven has been part of the regular rotation of the FE2 service in the sailing schedule of the partners in THE Alliance (Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express, Yang Ming and Hyundai Merchant Marine).

Joerg Sonne, head of Hapag-Lloyd's Region North Europe, mainly views the port as an important second pillar for Hapag-Lloyd.

"Wilhelmshaven especially proved its value in the last two years while ports were congested. We view it as an advantage that we offer our customers two gateways to Germany in order to be able to flexibly and reliably deliver their cargo. At the same time, the port has also become a cost-efficient alternative," Sonne said.

Expansion of infrastructure

The announcement said at present, investments are being made in the container terminal's infrastructure.

For example, the eight container-handling gantry cranes currently in place are being raised by 11 metres to enable them to optimally handle 24,000 TEU ships, and two more of these cranes are being installed.

Automation is also in the planning.

Hapag-Lloyd has held a 30% stake in CTW since 2022.

In addition, the Rail Terminal Wilhelmshaven (RTW), in which Hapag-Lloyd holds a 50% stake, has been electrified and expanded to have two tracks.