Claudia Roller, CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing, is delighted by the assent to the adjustment of the navigation channel now received from the neighbouring state of Lower Saxony: “For the Port of Hamburg, the whole economic region and our worldwide customers and partners in shipping, trade, industry and logistics, this assent from Lower Saxony to the adjustment of the navigation channel is a very satisfactory decision. We are now looking to the speedy realization of this infrastructural measure and hoping that the first stages in construction can be commenced before the end of this year. That will only be feasible, however, provided that any possible objections do not lead to any further delay to the deepening of the navigation channel on the Lower and Outer Elbe.” Given the significance of the deepening of the navigation channel, the German Administrative Court in Leipzig will in the first and final instances be responsible for hearing any possible objections. The period for lodging these runs for four weeks from the date of display of draft final approval, i.e. most probably until the end of June.
Against the background of the 894 ultra-large vessels (AGF) handled in Hamburg during 2011 the adjustment of the shipping channels in the Lower and Outer Elbe is one of the most important development projects for the Port of Hamburg in 2012. This will ensure that the largest containerships and bulk carriers continue to reach Hamburg in the future. After completion, ships with a draft up to 13.80 meters will be able to leave the Port of Hamburg independent of the tides and up to 14.80 meters dependent on the tides.
To limit the effects of the channel adjustment on the flora and fauna and the surrounding environment as much as possible, an engineering concept has been developed enabling the hydrological and therefore the ecological consequences to be considerably minimized. Numerous measures will be adopted to completely compensate for any remaining ecological effects.