Feeder Logistics Center increases the competitiveness of the Port of Hamburg

Since it was set up as an independent limited liability company in 2009, the Feeder Logistics Center (Feeder Logistik Zentrale, FLZ) in Hamburg has coordinated the handling of containers, the three millionth of which was transshipped at the end of August. The FLZ makes a major contribution to the smooth running of operations in the entire port. It is the central point of coordination for feeder ships in the Port of Hamburg.

The Feeder Logistics Center coordinates more than 5,000 calls to terminals every year and ensures that the agreed rotation of the feeder ships is complied with. It is the central point of contact for shipping companies and terminal operators, and is responsible for finding an optimal berth along the quay wall, as well as organising pilots, tugs and moving services. The FLZ therefore plays a key role in Hamburg’s success as a transshipment hub. The 2.1 percent increase in container throughput at the Port of Hamburg in the first half of the year was largely attributable to the 8.0 percent rise in feeder traffic. Seven new feeder services at the Port of Hamburg provide additional transport capacity and enhance the range of liner services to the Baltic Sea. Feeders are smaller container ships, such as those in Baltic Sea traffic, which ‘feed’ the container mega-ships deployed in transcontinental traffic. When a feeder ship calls at the Port of Hamburg, it serves an average of four terminals.

Dr. Stefan Behn, member of the HHLA Executive Board responsible for the Container segment, appreciates the role played by the FLZ: “The Feeder Logistics Center optimises the feeder traffic in the Port of Hamburg, thereby increasing the attractiveness of the location. Just like our competitor, Eurogate, we want to provide our customers with the best conditions. We established the Feeder Logistics Center in 2004 in order to make the processes in the port more efficient – in the interests of both shipping companies and terminal operators. The Feeder Logistics Center is a unique selling point for the Port of Hamburg.”

Emanuel Schiffer, Joint Chairman of the EUROGATE Management Board, also highlights the importance of the FLZ: “The work of the Feeder Logistics Center is based on a simple principle: when all those involved in feeder traffic contribute their expertise to the FLZ as the central point of coordination, the system as a whole functions more smoothly. And this is something that everyone benefits from. This principle is also reflected in the consensual structure of the Feeder Logistics Center. We make all operational decisions by mutual agreement with our competitor, HHLA.”

Heinrich Goller, Managing Director of the Feeder Logistics Center, explains the company’s character: “We see ourselves as a neutral platform, available to shipping companies as a service provider who has direct access to the terminals’ systems. In this way, the shipping companies can concentrate on their core business. For the terminals, the benefit provided by the FLZ lies in the fact that the utilisation of the berths is optimised at a central point by means of checked stowage plans, among other things. The atmosphere of trust that has developed is evident in the fact that we can monitor container handling at the level of the IT systems by means of scanning capabilities, thereby confirming the basic principle.”

Harbour Master, Jörg Pollmann, also commented on the FLZ’s activities: “The work of the Feeder Logistics Center optimises the use of the port’s infrastructure. The FLZ relieves the public authorities, such as the Nautical Control Centre at the Harbour Master’s Office, to coordinate the rotation of the feeder ships in the port ourselves. This means that we can concentrate on our core tasks. This form of cooperation is unique and is an important advantage for the Port of Hamburg.”

The Feeder Logistics Center was set up in 2004, and has acted as an independent limited liability company since 2009. The feeder companies Unifeeder and Teamlines are partners of the FLZ. The FLZ, which operates around the clock, presently employs twelve staff members who have expertise in all the relevant areas of shipping. The FLZ’s responsibilities include coordinating stowage planning and rotation between the terminals, promptly checking, amending and communicating stowage planning data to the relevant centres, maintaining regular contact with shipping companies, vessels, public authorities and terminals as well as ordering pilots, tugs and moving services on time.