The Port of Kiel can post positive results for 2014. Both cargo handling and passenger totals continued to rise. The port turned over 6.43 million tons of cargo, 1.6 % more than in the previous year. Stena Line’s Kiel-Gothenburg route recorded the biggest increase in general cargo handling while Color Line’s Kiel-Oslo service posted the strongest growth in passenger transport. During the year a total of 1.98 million passengers started or ended a ferry or cruise ship journey in Kiel - an increase of 1.9 %. Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the Port of Kiel (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG) said: “along with the growth in transport to and from Scandinavia and a rise in bulk cargo handling, there was, however, a decline in business with eastern Europe. The port currently finds itself in a situation aversely affected by the crisis in the Ukraine, a weak Russian currency and new environmental regulations.” While ferry traffic to and from Scandinavia rose by a good 5 % to more than 2.7 million tons, eastern Europe transport showed similar decline to only just about 2.4 million tons. An important growth factor in 2014 has been bulk cargo handling - especially the handling of building materials. Thanks to the expansion of outdoor storage areas in the Scheerhafen, the port was able to handle 370,000 tons of loose gravel for the first time. “Kiel is ideally located to supply the construction industry in the whole of Schleswig-Holstein and as far as Hamburg”, said Dirk Claus. “The Scheerhafen is of great regional importance”, he declared.  On the eastern bank of the Kiel Fiord work is meanwhile underway to expand the Ostuferhafen – Kiel’s cargo and logistics hub. Six hectares of additional area are being reclaimed there. Among other things, a new drainage system for the area is being created, interlocking concrete paving laid, lamp posts being erected and the site fenced in to comply with ISPS regulations. “We are creating urgently needed operational and outdoor storage areas to promote further growth in sectors such as forestry products”, says Dirk Claus. The SEEHAFEN KIEL with the support of the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, is investing a total of about 12 million Euros in the Ostuferhafen. The work will be completed in the summer of 2015. Intermodal Traffic Gains a lot of Ground Last year, 26,450 units were handled at Kiel rail terminals dedicated to intermodal cargo traffic. The figure was an increase of 11.3 %. Dirk Claus said “environmentally friendly rail transport to the point of embarcation has been a complete success and has gained dramatically in significance.” To process growing volumes in good time, the Port of Kiel has invested in new handling technology. The Ostuferhafen was first equipped with a high-capacity portal crane and then a comparable unit was put into operation at the Schwedenkai Terminal in autumn 2014. Intermodal shuttle trains transport Kiel rail cargo five times a week to and from Hamburg-Billwerder, linking up with the national rail network. From there the same rolling stock travels on to Duisburg without trans-shipment, providing a direct connection to the Ruhr. Because of this, two train services have been replaced which have operated directly to Duisburg until now. Those services were dropped from the time-table in December 2014. “Unfortunately, because of trade restrictions imposed on Russia”, commented Dirk Claus, “there is at the moment not enough cargo volume coming from the Baltic to fill direct trains to Duisburg.” Volume increases were particularly notable in 2014 on the Kiel-Verona route which is fed by Scandinavian services. In order to offer additional capacity, train combinations can be lengthened by two waggons with immediate effect. Adjustments at the Kiel-Meimersdorf Marshalling Yards mean that train combinations of up to 550 m are now possible, compared to 500 m previously. It is also planned to take advantage of such longer train combinations on the direct route between Kiel and Verona, which is currently served five times a week. “Switching cargo traffic onto the railways has proved particularly beneficial in Alpine transit. We expect further growth on this route”, said Dirk Claus. ECO Rules Mean New Challenges The introduction of new environmental regulations in the Baltic shipping area as of January 1st has meant that shipping companies now face new challenges. To comply with the new regulations, ships have to be driven by marine Diesel oil or be retro-fitted with modern gas emissions cleaning equipment. Dirk Claus said “we welcome steps to protect the environment. However if the increased costs incurred lead to cargo switching back to road transport then neither the seaports nor the environment will be served.” The shipping company DFDS Seaways has already retro-fitted the ships it operates on the Kiel-Klaipeda route with scrubbers. The ferries of Color Line are currently being retro-fitted at a Danish shipyard. By contrast, Stena Line has decided to operate its ship “Stena Germanica” with environmentally friendly Methanol in future. As a Kiel port contribution to climate protection, Norwegenkai plans to install a shore-based ship power supply connection. Dirk Claus said “plans are well advanced and an application for funding support has already been made to the state of Schleswig-Holstein. We are ready to implement the idea as soon as the EU notification procedure has been completed. Actual building will then take six months.”