New terminal on time and cheaper

The new CC3 or Cruise Centre 3, is emerging on a 16 hectare site at the Kronprinzkai in Hamburg’s Kaiser Wilhelm Hafen in Steinwerder. Building will be completed in May and the terminal will open for business in June. It will be the third cruise terminal for Germany’s biggest seaport after Cruise Centre Hafen City (CC1) and Cruise Centre Altona (CC2)

Capable of handling up to 8,000 passengers at a time, the new terminal has been built to stay abreast of booming passenger totals and cope with the biggest cruise ships, requiring deeper water, longer berths and more extensive terminal facilities for swift turn-round.

CC3 has been under construction for a year with turnkey German prefabricated component specialists Goldbeck West handling the project. Already complete is ground preparation and construction of the 10,600 m2 terminal buildings which is divided into two parts – for incoming and outgoing passengers.

As Maritime Journal went to press final modifications were being made on the terminal’s 450m long berth for ships of more than 330m length. Fenders and mooring bollards were being installed and asphalting was taking place at vehicle parking facilities which will cover 35,000 m2 and handle up to 1,500 vehicles.

Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) Chairman Jens Meier said not only construction was on schedule but that it had also proved possible to cut estimated costs. He said CC3 would cost €16 million less than the originally budgeted price – which HPA told Maritime Journal last year would amount to €58.6 million – €30.9 million for terminal buildings and €27.7 million for access facilities, transport and parking areas.

There will also be shore-based electrical supply facilities at CC3 for visiting cruise ships as well as LNG re-supply. They are part of Hamburg’s ‘smartPORT’ programme designed to introduce modern solutions to transport control and reduce emissions in the port.

No technical details of the CC3 shore power or LNG facilities appear to have been released to date. However the development of LNG refuelling barges is already advanced in Hamburg. And an idea of the CC3 power plant will be given, also in June, when CC2 in Altona inaugurates just such a facility of its own.

HPA told Maritime Journal the Altona power facility had been supplied and installed by Siemens and had been under construction since July last year. Officials said the EU-supported plant cost €10 million and was a milestone in port development. Ship connection was automated and took only a few minutes with ships able to shut down most of their engine power, they said.

BY Tom Todd