EMDEN. On 5 October 2026, Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced that a new naval port is to be built in Emden. “We currently have the smallest navy in the history of the Bundeswehr, whilst at the same time facing the largest and most extensive portfolio of tasks.

HAMBURG At the “InnoTrans” trade fair in September, the Zentralverband der deutschen Seehafenbetriebe (ZDS) presented a policy paper on rail transport, calling for the expansion and modernisation of the rail network

EMDEN/DÖRPEN. Linked by the River Ems and the Dortmund-Ems Canal, the ports of Emden and Dörpen have been working together for years. Now, the port dialogue launched in February on the initiative of Hartmut Moorkamp (CDU), a member of the Emsland regional parliament, is set to gather further momentum.

HAMBURG. Seaports of Niedersachsen once again presented itself at the joint stand of the State of Lower Saxony at WindEnergy in Hamburg last week. Numerous company representatives from Lower Saxony’s port locations used the trade fair to position themselves as key logistics partners for the energy transition.

EMDEN / DÜSSELDORF Ems Ports Agency and Stevedoring Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG (epas) was awarded the ‘Großer Preis des Mittelstandes’ (Grand Prize for Medium-Sized Enterprises) 2026 on 12 September.

HAMBURG. Together with Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs and Innovation, Dr Melanie Leonhard, and the main contractor Gieseke, the CEO of BLG LOGISTICS, Matthias Magnor, laid the foundation stone for a sustainable site development in the Port of Hamburg on 17 September 2026.

BREMEN. From 21 September, the level crossing on Ludwig-Plate-Straße will undergo extensive renovation. The works are expected to last until 30 October. During this period, Ludwig-Plate-Straße will be closed to private motorised traffic in the vicinity of the level crossing.

HAMBURG In light of the ballot launched by ver.di on indefinite strikes in German seaports, the Zentralverband der deutschen Seehafenbetriebe (ZDS) called for reason and proportionality on 17 September.

OLDENBURG / BREMEN From 22 to 25 September 2026, the seaports of Lower Saxony and the ports of Bremen will be showcasing their capabilities at WindEnergy in Hamburg.

At the 34th Niedersächsischen Hafentag, the topic of the circular economy was placed firmly on the agenda of the Lower Saxony port industry.

BREMEN. On behalf of the Bremen Senate, the Bremische Hafen- und Logistikvertretung (BHV) hosted the 59th Captains’ Day at Bremen Town Hall on 4 September 2026.

OLDENBURG. NPorts has signed the so-called “Diversity Charter”. This is an initiative by employers to promote diversity in companies and institutions.

HAMBURG. The SMM (Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine Technology) trade fair has begun in Hamburg. At the opening of the world’s leading trade fair for the maritime industry, Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs, Leonhard, emphasised the importance of secure infrastructure and resilient supply chains for the sector.

HAMBURG. The Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm, developed by the Danish energy group Ørsted and the investor Nuveen Infrastructure, is now in commercial operation. With an installed capacity of 913 megawatts, the project is, according to a press release, one of...

BAD SODEN. The Bremen-based energy service provider Ambrian Energy and Messer SE & Co. KGaA, a producer of industrial gases, have announced that the planned joint venture ‘CarbonBridge’ has successfully received antitrust approval from the European Commission.

BREMERHAVEN. Lloyd Werft is set to become the new operator and long-term leaseholder of the former banana and general cargo terminal on Columbus Island in Bremerhaven. The property is situated on the Stromkaje at Steubenstraße 5

EMDEN. The spare gate for the large maritime lock, weighing around 1,200 tonnes, has been launched in Eemshaven, the Netherlands. The heavy-lift barge ‘BHV Innovation’ successfully deployed the gate.

HAMBURG/WILHELMSHAVEN. In a customer notice issued in August, Hapag-Lloyd announced that it would be relocating the port of departure for the East Med Express (EMX) from Hamburg to Wilhelmshaven (CTW).

HAMBURG. The drone incident at Leipzig Airport in early August 2026 has reinforced the Zentralverband der deutschen Seehafenbetriebe (ZDS) in its call for further strengthening of drone defence measures.

EMDEN. As part of the German-Dutch Interreg programme ‘SCOBE’, representatives from German and Dutch seaports and inland ports, as well as from universities in both countries, met in Emden in August at the invitation of the Emden Port Development Corporation (EHFG).

HOLZWICKEDE The Rhenus Group and shipzero announced their strategic partnership in August. Through this collaboration with the emissions platform, Rhenus can now offer its customers access to a ‘book-and-claim’ solution designed to reduce the climate impact of global...

OLDENBURG. With 31.1 million tonnes of seaborne cargo handled, the nine seaports in Lower Saxony recorded a 7 per cent increase in the first half of 2026 compared with the first half of 2025 (29.1 million tonnes).

BREMERHAVEN. On 20 August, Alexander Global Logistics opened its new logistics centre in Bremerhaven. The logistics company invested around 20 million euros in the property, which will enable it to expand its capacity for pulp, paper and forestry products

BRAKE. Sven Riekers (51) has joined the team at J. Müller Weser in Brake. A native of Bremen, he joins the company from a port industry business in Bremen and will strengthen the existing Breakbulk Sales team, which has been led for many years by Jörg Kaplan.

EMDEN. The Dirks Group is expanding its space for logistics projects at the Emden Industrial Park. According to the contract logistics provider, which has been operating there since 2005, it now has a total of 90,000 square metres of warehouse space on the site.

OLDENBURG. In July 2026, NPorts published its 2026 sustainability report. This report documents developments from 2022 to 2024 and, using specific projects and comprehensive key performance indicators, illustrates how sustainability is being implemented in Lower Saxony’s ports.

BREMERHAVEN. In July 2026, a heavy-lift freighter docked for the first time at BLG’s new ‘Roter Sand’ South Harbour in Bremerhaven’s Kaiserhafen I to take on a cargo of power station modules.

NORDERNEY / NORDDEICH. After six of the eight groups of wooden dolphins on the heavy-duty ramp at Norderney had reached the end of their service life, NPorts replaced them in July 2026 with eight freestanding steel-tube dolphins fitted with doughnut fenders.

PAPENBURG. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport and Construction is supporting the town of Papenburg with a grant of around 22.2 million euros. In July, State Secretary Matthias Wunderling-Weilbier (centre) presented the grant notification to Papenburg’s Mayor Vanessa Gattung (second from left).

KIRCHHEIM UNTER TECK. On 1 July 2026, Patrick Oestreich (l.) took over as Chairman of the Executive Board of the Mosolf Group. He had been a member of the Group’s Executive Board since February 2026 and, as part of a succession plan prepared well in advance, had gradually taken over the responsibilities of his predecessor, Dr Jörg Mosolf (r.).