HyperPort: new era of speed in moving containers between port and hinterland
Hamburg-headquartered logistics provider HHLA has unveiled the visualisation of the HyperPort. It is the hyperloop-based ultra-high-speed transport system to move containers between port and hinterland in minutes instead of hours. The technical concept was developed together with the US research and development company HyperloopTT.
Moving freight between the maritime terminals and the hinterland destinations is a crucial issue for the port operators such as Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) that runs three container terminals in the Port of Hamburg as well as two facilities in Ukraine and Estonia. Therefore, the German logistics company intends to start a new era of speed by implementing the HyperPort concept in the European third-largest container harbour.
Key features
The hyperloop-based transport system allows moving containerised goods at a speed of 600 kilometres per hour. It includes the usage of special capsules with a capacity for two 20-foot or one 40- or 45-foot standard or high cube container. According to HHLA, the HyperPort makes it possible to transport up to 2,800 containers a day in a closed operating environment, without traffic or environmental influences. “The hyperloop technology is suitable for taking the transport of goods to a new level. With the HyperPort concept, we are developing an alternative solution to existing transport systems for the goods transport of the future in a fast-growing global market,” said Gerlinde John, Project Manager for HyperPort at HHLA.
Towards reality
Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) joined forces two and half years ago, in December 2018. Their main goal was to increase the capacity and efficiency of container terminals while reducing the environmental footprint and congestion at ports worldwide. Both partners developed the HyperPort concept together with two other companies from Spain, Mormedi and CT Ingenieros.
More than 20,000 hours of work were put into the concept, on designs, analytical models, calculations, trade-off studies, 3D visualisations, optimisations of the overall design and integration capabilities. Currently, the HyperPort concept is being further optimised. The next step is a construction-based virtual reality demonstrator to be presented exclusively at the ITS World Congress, the world’s largest mobility trade fair. The Congress will take place in Hamburg from 11 to 15 October 2021.