Port Productivity : Best Practices

Special Report

DGT will be able to handle 850,000 TEUs per year across six cranes and 12 rail tracks . Igor Tumarkin / Shutterstock . com

Europe ’ s largest inland container terminal opens in Germany

By Greg Knowler

Duisburg Gateway Terminal ( DGT ) in Germany , Europe ’ s largest inland container facility , opened in September with train traffic already flowing across its busy railheads .

The first phase of the new terminal covers 155,000 square meters , with plans to expand to 235,000 square meters over the next two years . No capacity was provided for the first phase , but in the long term , the terminal will have an annual handling capacity of 850,000 TEUs , according to a statement from Duisburg Port ( Duisport ).

“ We are further expanding our position as one of the most important logistics hubs in Europe ,” Markus Bangen , CEO of Duisport , said in the statement .

Duisport is located on the Rhine River with access to Rotterdam and Antwerp , forming the crucial Rhine-Alpine corridor that connects the Mediterranean with Northern Europe , and is a hub for China-Europe rail freight .

That attracted investment from PSA International in July 2023 , when the Singapore-based terminal operator acquired 22 % of DGT and is now using the inland port stake to expand its reach deeper into Europe .

Clean capacity

DGT , the 10th container terminal in the port , was built on the site of a former coal terminal . The new containerhandling facility is designed to be climate-neutral and will generate its own power through a sustainable energy system that combines renewable energies , energy storage and various hydrogen technologies .

“ An intelligent local energy network links the various energy systems and storage units to supply consumers at the terminal , including shore power , charging points and crane systems ,” Duisport said . “ In addition , a future supply for neighboring districts is also being considered , in theory .”

When fully operational , DGT will be able to handle 850,000 TEUs per year across its six cranes and 12 rail tracks and accommodate up to 20 trains , 400 trucks and six ships daily .

Duisport is a key transshipment point for ships and barges from deep-sea hubs such as Antwerp and Rotterdam , as well as for cargo transported by truck and rail . Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 , Duisport was one of the main arrival and departure points for rail freight moving via the so-called northern corridor , the conduit that moves through Russia that handled 95 % of all rail traffic between China and Europe .

“ Some European shippers are [ resuming ] use of rail and trucking solutions that transit through Russia .”

Rail freight from China declined significantly as international sanctions on Russia were imposed and sidelined the northern corridor . But following the Red Sea attacks on commercial shipping last year , the volume has been growing steadily on the northern route with bottlenecks developing at key transit points .

Forwarders estimate China-Europe rail volume increased by more than 50 % year over year in the first quarter of 2024 with strong demand for less-thancontainerload freight .

“ Some European shippers are deciding to resume their use of rail and trucking solutions that transit through Russia ,” Kelvin Tang , global cross-border and multimodal leader at forwarder CEVA Logistics , told the Journal of Commerce in an interview .

email : greg . knowler @ spglobal . com

34 Journal of Commerce | October 21 , 2024 www . joc . com