Strengthening logistics expertise for specialty products – Sulfur handling in Brake with a long tradition

As of June 1, 2025, J. Müller SE has taken over the sulfur terminal at the seaport of Brake from SulServ International GmbH. The sale of the terminal took place as part of SulServ International GmbH’s restructuring process and its associated withdrawal from the operational terminal business. Under the agreement, overall responsibility passes to J. Müller, and the operation of the facility – in line with the other port activities in Brake – will be carried out by J. Müller Weser GmbH & Co. KG.

“We would like to thank SulServ for the trusting and cooperative partnership over the past years,” said Manuela Drews, Managing Director of J. Müller Weser. “With this acquisition, we can now operate the terminal independently, further develop it in a targeted way, and expand it into a strong and efficient element of our logistics chain.”

Dr. Malte Köster (Partner at WILLMERKÖSTER), who supported the terminal sale as a restructuring expert at SulServ, emphasized: “The supply of sulfur is of high strategic importance for the chemical industry in Germany. Under the umbrella of J. Müller, clear prospects for the sulfur terminal at the Port of Brake have been created.”

Handling of solid and liquid sulfur

The specialized facility is designed for the safe handling and storage of both solid and liquid sulfur. With a handling capacity of more than 500,000 tons annually, and the ability to transfer between seagoing vessels, tank trucks, rail tank cars, and pipelines, the terminal provides modern logistical interfaces for chemical specialty products. Its extensive safety equipment meets the highest environmental and safety standards.

“With this transfer of ownership, we are ensuring the continuation of a facility that is both logistically and economically significant, while clearly positioning ourselves as a strong partner for the chemical industry,” emphasized Drews. “At the same time, we are opening up new perspectives: our future focus will be on the import market, which is gaining increasing importance in light of declining domestic sulfur sources.”

Strategic shift toward imports

With the takeover, J. Müller is deliberately looking to the future. While sulfur handling in Brake originally stemmed from sour gas production in northern Germany, such as natural gas processing in Großenkneten, that chapter is now largely closed. The domestic sulfur market is exhausted – making the strategic development of imports all the more important. Sulfur remains in high demand across numerous industrial applications.

 Looking back: 45 years of sulfur handling in Brake – A chapter in port history

As early as 1980, the Kreiszeitung Wesermarsch reported: “Solid sulfur – Brake’s newest export product.” At that time, the Norddeutsche Erdgasaufbereitungs-Gesellschaft [NEAG] began handling sulfur at the port. With up to 820,000 tons of sulfur per year, the site reached its peak in 1999. In the years that followed, the technology was continuously developed – from slating plants to rotoformers, from dust-intensive granules to storage-friendly sulfur pastilles. In 2020, NEAG sold the terminal to SulServ due to the decline in sour gas production. Today’s facility continues that tradition: modern, high-performance, and ready for new challenges.