Europe

The first commercial container ship with a capacity of 15,000 TEU has docked at the new Rijeka Gateway terminal in the Port of Rijeka in Croatia, marking the start of its operations. The press conference held to mark the event was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butkovic, Executive Director of the Port of Rijeka Denis Vukorepa and representatives of the concessionaire – APM Terminals and ENNA Group. The new terminal has the capacity to handle up to 650,000 TEU per year, and after the completion of the second stage, its capacity will exceed one million TEU. 

Austrian rail operator ÖBB has begun the final expansion phase of the Vienna South freight hub, which will increase the terminal’s capacity by 44% from the current 380,000 to 547,000 TEU by the end of 2026. The hub, which has been in operation since 2016, handles intermodal cargo between road and rail and is located at a strategic intersection of the Pottendorf line, the S1 motorway and three pan-European rail corridors.

The logistics group HHLA has officially opened the Blue Port light installation, which has been painting the Port of Hamburg in blue tones every two years since 2008. This year, the project is dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the company and symbolizes its international network. The official start was given in the evening with the participation of HHLA CEO Angela Titzrath, Hamburg Senator for Economic Affairs Melanie Leonhard and the artist Michael Batz.

Shipping company Stena Line intends to buy 100% of the shares of the Latvian port operator Terrabalt, which operates a terminal in Liepaja. If the deal is approved, the company will take over the management of the facility, which handles Ro-Ro cargo, bulk and general cargo.

The largest players in express logistics continue to actively invest in infrastructure: DHL Express has launched the largest facility in the company’s history in Finland – a €100 million terminal at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. The new hub, with an area of ​​16,000 square meters, has direct access to the apron, 90 ramps with charging for electric vans and automated sorting of up to 6,500 parcels per hour and will begin operations in October. The facility is certified as carbon neutral.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has launched a major electrification project that will enable cruise ships to be connected to shore power as early as 2027 – three years ahead of the EU’s mandatory FuelEU requirements. The new Zweedse Kaai terminal will be able to service two ships at a time, eliminating the need for diesel generators, which currently account for around 5% of the port’s carbon emissions.

Maersk sees optimism in the market: EU export volumes are expected to recover from September 2025 thanks to a new trade agreement with the US and strong demand for pharmaceuticals, cars and machinery. At the same time, according to Sea Intelligence, global schedule reliability fell to 65.2% in June-July, but the Gemini alliance maintained a high figure of 92%. The company also announced a revision of tariffs for Terminal Handling services, which will come into effect from October.

Lineas has introduced the new Duisburg-Dourges rail route, offering a sustainable and reliable freight solution with three round trips per week. The new service provides fast and environmentally friendly transport between Germany and France, reducing dependence on road transport.

On September 3, PSA Italy announced the expansion of the Stuttgart Express rail service, which connects PSA Genova Pra’s deep-sea container terminal with Kornwestheim in southern Germany. Launched in May 2023, the service has proven to be an efficient solution for shippers.

Logistics operator METRANS has begun integrating electric loaders for first- and last-mile transportation in cities and suburbs, where reducing noise and emissions is especially important. The new vehicles will be part of the company’s strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and improve air quality in densely populated areas.