Work on the further development of the southern harbour ‘Roter Sand’ in Bremerhaven has picked up speed. Significant progress has already been made in the first few weeks of the construction phase. Around 8,000 tonnes of material have been removed from the site. A total of around 29,000 tonnes must be removed before the next construction phases can begin.
A modern infrastructure is being built on around 60,000 square metres, creating additional space for handling and technical services at the BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven. With the expansion of the southern harbour, three halls will be available for technical work in future. In addition, two new berths for deep-sea RoRo carriers will be created to expand the existing capacities and make the service even more flexible for customers.
Agricultural machinery manufacturer CLAAS relocates activities to the southern harbour
The agricultural machinery manufacturer CLAAS is currently relocating its activities from the northern harbour to the southern harbour. As part of an import project, BLG is carrying out various technical conversions for CLAAS according to customer requirements. Such projects illustrate the efficiency of the area and the potential for further specialised logistics in the port.
Siemens Energy was the first customer to move into the southern harbour last year. Since then, this part of the harbour has established itself as a location for demanding large-scale projects. Extensive handling and assembly logistics for power plant modules have already been handled here. The individual components weighing up to 275 tonnes were pre-assembled in the southern port and are ready for onward transport after assembly.
"With the expansion of the southern harbour, we are offering our customers a modern infrastructure and additional capacity. The new space enables optimised processes and even more flexible use for the handling and technical processing of goods. At the same time, we are focussing on sustainable solutions to make the construction process efficient and resource-saving," explains Karsten Dirks, Operative Managing Director of BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven. ‘We are in active dialogue with the relevant authorities, who are providing us with expert support during the project.“
Sustainable solutions and technical improvements
Parallel to the earthworks in the north of the site, the necessary supply lines are currently being laid, followed by the construction of the surfaces. The handover of the first areas is scheduled for late summer. The laying of the fibre optic cable from the Kaiserhafen has already been completed. This will ensure the technical connection of the new area at an early stage and enable the establishment of a modern, high-performance IT infrastructure.
The construction work is based on a coordinated concept. As the materials produced can only be delivered in limited quantities and to different recipients, most of whom are not connected to the water, they are currently only transported by commercial lorry. At the same time, the excavated volume must be replaced by suitable natural material. A particularly sustainable solution has been devised for this: the required construction sand and natural gravel is placed directly into the construction site from the water side using a hopper dredger. This method avoids numerous lorry journeys and reduces construction site traffic to a necessary minimum.
The existing areas around the halls are being upgraded and new supply lines are being laid so that particularly heavy or large-volume goods can be moved without any problems in future. The work is being carried out in several phases so as not to disrupt ongoing operations and should be completed by the beginning of winter.
In future, a total of eleven high bollards will provide secure and stable fastening for ships. They will be used to reliably secure large and heavy ships during loading and unloading - especially for demanding projects with heavy cargo and large-volume components.
As the southern harbour is not yet part of the free port area, the necessary customs requirements are currently being applied for in order to ensure the smooth handling of import ships in the future. The southern port is thus being adapted step by step not only structurally but also organisationally to the increasing requirements and new customers.
