The Cold Ironing Shift: Hapag-Lloyd Targets Net-Zero via Hamburg Port Pact

Hapag-Lloyd and the Hamburg Port Authority have signed a milestone framework agreement to mandate the use of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) across all major container terminals in the Port of Hamburg. With 35 percent of its fleet already shore-power equipped and two mega-containerships having completed validation trials, the carrier is institutionalizing cold-ironing ahead of impending 2030 FuelEU Maritime mandates.

Hamburg | July 9, 2026 – In a major step toward standardizing zero-emission port calls along the Northern European range, Hapag-Lloyd and the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) have executed a binding framework agreement to expand and mandate the use of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) across all major container terminals in the Port of Hamburg.

Under the terms of the accord, Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container liner, commits to integrating cold-ironing directly into its daily vessel deployment planning and tactical fleet management routines. The carrier has pledged to connect its vessels to the municipal grid whenever operationally feasible, converting what has traditionally been an occasional environmental trial into an institutionalized operating procedure.

The agreement covers every container terminal within the HPA’s jurisdiction, including major hubs like Altenwerder (CTA), Burchardkai (CTB), Tollerort (CTT), and Eurogate (CTH).

Moving Beyond the Pilot Phase

The signing follows successful commercial validation trials carried out at the port’s ultra-large container vessel berths. In recent weeks, two of Hapag-Lloyd’s mega-containerships, the Al Muraykh (19,892 TEU) and the Tihama (19,870 TEU), successfully shut down their auxiliary diesel engines and drew 100% renewable shoreside electricity during scheduled port calls. Both assets are actively deployed on the carrier’s high-volume Asia–North Europe Service (NE2).

The Ship-to-Shore Cold Ironing Process

• Renewable Energy Supply: 100% CO₂-neutral green electricity is drawn directly from the Hamburg municipal power grid.
• Voltage Conversion: The power is routed through the specialized HPA SIHARBOR Substation to match the required vessel electrical parameters.
• Quayside Delivery: Automated, mobile cable-management vehicles deploy and align the heavy-duty power lines along the berth.
• Vessel Connection: Power is safely accepted through the integrated Vessel Receptacle via a high-capacity 10kV / 7.5 MVA link.
• Zero-Emission Hoteling: Shipboard electrical systems switch over entirely to shoreside power, allowing the auxiliary diesel engines to be turned completely off.

By switching off onboard generation and relying on the local grid for hotel loads, including lighting, communications, pumps, and extensive reefer container cooling networks, the vessels eliminate local emissions of particulate matter (PM), sulfur oxides (SOx), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) while alongside.

Fleet Compatibility and Retrofit Scaling

The primary bottleneck for global shore power utilization is no longer just shoreside infrastructure, but vessel-side readiness. Hapag-Lloyd is aggressively resolving this equipment delta:

• Current Readiness: Approximately 35 percent of the line’s 302-vessel fleet is fully fitted with the necessary transformers, switchgear, and hull receptacles required for immediate OPS connection.
• Newbuild Strategy: All incoming newbuild container vessels are delivered from shipyards “shore-power ready” as standard baseline specification.
• Retrofit Program: The carrier is systematically executing hardware retrofits on suitable legacy vessels within its existing 2.5 million TEU asset pool.

“Shore power is an important element on our path toward lower-emission vessel operations in ports and towards our goal of achieving net-zero fleet emissions by 2045,” stated Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd. “Wherever the infrastructure is available and its use makes operational sense, we use shore power. Hamburg demonstrates how investments in lower-emission vessel operations can be put into practice.“

Port of Hamburg’s OPS Infrastructure Profile

The partnership leverages a highly automated, heavy-duty electrical ecosystem developed by the HPA to withstand severe marine conditions and significant river tides:

Regulatory Urgency: The 2030 Horizon

This collaborative commitment arrives ahead of a sharp regulatory cliff. Under the European Union’s FuelEU Maritime framework and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), container and passenger ships over 5,000 gross tonnage will face severe financial penalties if they fail to connect to onshore power supplies while berthed in major EU ports starting in 2030.

By entering into formalized terminal-wide contracts four years ahead of the mandate, Hapag-Lloyd and the HPA are establishing a mature, repeatable operating blueprint. This collaboration mitigates regulatory exposure and proves that the transition from infrastructure installation to standard operating routine is commercially viable.

About Hapag-Lloyd

With a fleet of 302 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 2.5 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. In its Liner Shipping segment, the company operates 400 offices across 140 countries and employs approximately 15,200 people. Hapag-Lloyd maintains a total container capacity of 3.7 million TEU, which includes one of the largest and most modern fleets of reefer containers in the maritime industry. A comprehensive network of 133 liner services worldwide ensures fast and reliable connections between 600 ports spanning all continents.

Through its Terminal & Infrastructure segment, Hapag-Lloyd holds equity stakes in 24 marine terminals located across Europe, Latin America, the United States, India, and North Africa. An additional 4,400 employees are assigned to this segment, providing complementary logistics services at select strategic locations to support core terminal activities.

Source: Hapag-LLoyd