At the beginning of June, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG  put the first two electrically powered trucks into operation at its in-house freight forwarder Container-Transport-Dienst . These environmentally friendly trucks form part of HHLA’s sustainability strategy, which seeks to accelerate the decarbonisation of logistics chains and provide customers with more green transport solutions

CTD will initially be using the new electric trucks for container transfers in the Port of Hamburg and subjecting them to extensive testing. As part of these tests, data will be gathered to provide HHLA with important insights for potential purchases of further e-trucks. In particular, this includes data on the efficient use of the trucks in the Port of Hamburg and the execution of charging cycles.

The Volvo FH electric trucks, which were recently named Truck of the Year 2024, are characterised by their high quality and reliability as commercial vehicles in logistics transport. They also boast a long range, enabling them to cover a distance of 260 to 340 kilometres when fully loaded. The trucks are fitted with a 540 kWh battery and a maximum charge capacity of 250 kWh. Initially, they will be charged using the public charging infrastructure.

Angela Titzrath, CEO of HHLA: “Environmentally friendly, resource-saving processes and logistics services represent a key pillar of our corporate strategy, which has been firmly established for many years. We have set ourselves the ambitious goal of achieving climate-neutral production across the Group by 2040. In this quest, we are committed to using innovative technologies in order to further reduce carbon emissions, which also benefits our customers. The launch of the new electric trucks is another decisive step for HHLA on the road to a more climate-friendly future.”

Ralph Frankenstein, Managing Director of CTD: “We are looking forward to extensively testing the two electric trucks, thereby enabling us to offer our customers green transport solutions. As such, we are making a significant contribution to sustainable logistics in the year of our 50th anniversary.”

For many years, HHLA has been working to decarbonise its facilities and equipment. Electrically powered container gantry cranes, automated guided vehicles and tractor units are already in use at its terminals in Europe. As part of the Clean Port & Logistics cluster, HHLA is also examining the use of hydrogen-powered equipment in tandem with partner companies and comparing this equipment to electric, battery-powered devices.

Furthermore, the HHLA rail subsidiary Metrans has been using and testing electric trucks for container transport for two years now. Since 2022, these electric trucks have formed part of the environmentally friendly Metrans fleet, alongside electric and hybrid locomotives and electric rail gantry cranes. Metrans is thus pursuing the objective of offering its customers completely climate-friendly transport from a single source, with the combination of green road and rail transport adding significant value in this regard.