With 253 container ships and a transport capacity of 1.8 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world's largest shipping companies. Profit expectations have recently surged despite the coronavirus pandemic, as freight rates have risen by 80 percent. Now, all containers are being equipped with real-time trackers.
The company has approximately 14,100 employees at locations in 137 countries with 421 offices. Hapag-Lloyd has a container fleet of around 3.1 million TEU – including one of the largest and most modern fleets of refrigerated containers. The shipping company is also acquiring a 30 percent stake in the JadeWeserPort container terminal in Wilhelmshaven and a 50 percent stake in the rail terminal.
The acquisition was announced in September 2021. Now the EU Commission has given its approval. Terminal operator Eurogate will retain the remaining shares.
The investment in JadeWeserPort, it is said, will help Hapag-Lloyd further improve its competitive position, particularly in Far East trade, while simultaneously strengthening the North German ports. The parties have agreed to keep the purchase price confidential.
Hapag-Lloyd provides fast and reliable connections between more than 600 ports worldwide with 126 liner services. Following the successful introduction of a real-time data monitoring system for its refrigerated container fleet in 2019, the company is beginning to install newly developed devices on all standard containers in its three million TEU fleet.
“In the future, we will be able to provide all our customers with real-time track-and-trace data, giving them complete transparency over all container movements worldwide. This will allow us to identify delays earlier, automatically inform affected partners, and take timely countermeasures. We are firmly convinced that our real-time tracking approach will not only benefit our customers but will also transform the entire container shipping industry,” says COO Maximilian Rothkopf.
The devices provide GPS-based location data, measure temperatures, and detect sudden vibrations. Additional sensors can be connected via Bluetooth. To ensure the safety of crew, cargo, and ships, the devices are certified according to the ATEX Zone 2 explosion protection standard. Later this year, devices from one of the world's leading companies in the field of Internet of Things solutions will also be added.
“Our vision is to build the world's most intelligent container fleet,” says Olaf Habert, Director of Container Applications. “Collaborating with the most advanced companies for IoT applications on a global scale will help us equip our container fleet as quickly as possible. This is what our customers need now and increasingly expect so they can better manage their complex supply chains.”
www.hapag-lloyd.com
