As of November 1, 2022, feeder ships can be strategically used for container transfers between the major terminals in the Port of Hamburg.
The projected benefits include providing relief the port infrastructure by reducing the number of truck journeys between the terminals, shorter waiting times at the terminals and a related decrease in CO2 emissions.
DAKOSY, DIHLA and Unifeeder jointly established the framework for the digital processes and customs handling of feeder transhipments. The basis is the Port Community System operated by DAKOSY, featuring the integration of a new module.
The application is also of interest to other feeder carriers and can be used by them starting in November. The module has already proven itself in live testing. During the three-month pilot phase, Unifeeder transferred about 50 containers per month
emphasizes DAKOSY project manager Franz Schwanke.
The so-called transhipment manifest was newly introduced into the process. With this manifest, the feeder carrier signals via EDI interface or via the IMP web application that it wants to make a transhipment by feeder ship. As a result, a change of custodian is triggered through an automated process and no export transaction is initiated.
The manifest also notifies the departure and destination terminals of the planned transhipment and provides them with status messages along the way. This allows the terminals to optimize their internal processes as well.
DIHLA has covered the initial financing for the digital processes required to implement feeder transhipments. Managing director Alexander Geisler explains their motivation:
For us, ship-based transhipments in the port are the right way to go. The current real-life constraints have shown that there is a need for this. Now the groundwork has been laid for digital customs handling