Oldenburg, 3 March 2025 | The seaports of Lower Saxony were able to increase their seaborne cargo throughput in 2024 by 10% to 55.5 million tonnes (50.6 million tonnes in 2023). In doing so, they defied the trend of an economic downturn in Germany and difficult geopolitical conditions. Future growth potential exists through the energy transition as well as in project logistics and container handling. However, the consequences of possible trade conflicts are difficult to assess, and the structural challenges facing the German economy affect the seaports in equal measure. Nevertheless, investments by the port industry indicate a continued optimistic outlook for the future.

The range of cargo handled in the Lower Saxony seaports of Brake, Cuxhaven, Emden, Leer, Nordenham, Oldenburg, Papenburg, Stade, and Wilhelmshaven is traditionally broad, but once again, bulk cargo accounts for the largest share in sea freight statistics: With more than 41.4 million tonnes of liquid and dry bulk goods handled, results in this cargo segment improved by 9% compared to the previous year (approx. 38 million tonnes in 2023). The largest share, 29.1 million tonnes, came from the handling of liquid goods such as crude oil, liquid chalk, and chemicals. Around 12.3 million tonnes of dry bulk consisted of agricultural products, building materials, ores, and coal.

General cargo throughput also increased and reached 14.1 million tonnes, 9% above the previous year (12.9 million tonnes in 2023). In addition to large-volume general cargo such as pulp—mainly imported—and steel products, especially for export, general cargo also includes project cargo and wind energy components. Container handling in the Lower Saxony seaports takes place primarily at the EUROGATE Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven, where volumes rose to 843,452 TEU in 2024 (530,954 TEU in 2023). Automobile handling at the locations Cuxhaven, Emden, and Wilhelmshaven remained largely stable at a total of around 1.65 million vehicles last year (1.66 million vehicles in 2023).

“With the 10% increase in throughput last year, we are very satisfied in Lower Saxony given the difficult economic and geopolitical conditions,” commented Inke Onnen-Lübben, Managing Director of Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH, on the throughput figures presented at today’s annual press conference of the Lower Saxony seaports. How crises and trade conflicts around the world will affect the future development of the ports is difficult to predict; changing market structures could bring both opportunities and risks. “For the coming years, we expect good business for our seaports as part of the expansion of renewable energies, for example in the handling of components for the wind energy sector. There is also interesting potential in project logistics. Container handling in Wilhelmshaven is likely to gain further momentum through the start of the Gemini cooperation in February,” Onnen-Lübben continued. The port companies in Lower Saxony remain optimistic, as reflected in various investments, for example in new crane capacities, warehouses, or logistics facilities. At the same time, seaports—as well as their customers in the shipping industry—face not only geopolitical but also structural challenges. “At the moment, it is crucial to remain as flexible as possible and offer customers good solutions despite limited planning reliability.” Fundamentally, the ports are a reflection of economic developments: “We, like our customers, depend on competitive energy costs, functioning transport infrastructure, and the reduction of bureaucracy in order to remain competitive internationally and to keep the port location of Lower Saxony attractive for customers,” summarized Onnen-Lübben.

Individual Throughput Results of the Lower Saxony Seaports:   

Brake

In Brake, a total of around 5.4 million tonnes of goods were handled in sea transport (6.1 million tonnes in 2023). Results were strongly affected by the closures of the Hunte bridge, which was damaged twice last year in ship collisions, cutting the port off from rail transport. All cargo segments were negatively impacted, as export goods are primarily delivered by rail. The seaborne handling volume of grain and feed remained at around 3 million tonnes, but the war in Ukraine continues to affect logistics chains in the agricultural sector, with goods often transported by rail rather than ship. Handling of pulp reached 868,146 tonnes in 2024, a slight increase of 1% compared to the previous year, but volumes remain below earlier years due to high energy costs in the pulp industry. For 2025, the port of Brake sees strong potential in project logistics and renewable energy. A new harbour gantry crane was commissioned last year to further optimize processes.

Cuxhaven

At the Cuxhaven site, around 2.5 million tonnes of sea cargo were recorded in 2024, an increase of 4% compared to 2.4 million tonnes the previous year. This resulted partly from increased handling of building materials and consistently high volumes of new vehicles and wind energy components. While Cuxhaven previously played a larger role as an export port for automobiles, the share of imported vehicles—e.g. from Turkey and the USA—increased significantly last year. Of the total 337,100 cars handled, about one-third were imports. This is important because such balanced traffic flows make the port more attractive overall to shippers. For the current year, Cuxhaven expects stable vehicle volumes, though developments in the US market remain uncertain. Handling of wind energy components reached 272,784 tonnes in 2024, a 13% increase (242,052 tonnes in 2023).

Emden

The port of Emden further expanded its seaborne throughput in 2024, reaching over 4.5 million tonnes, 3% above the previous year (approx. 4.4 million tonnes in 2023). The increase was primarily due to the handling of liquid and dry bulk goods, such as imported liquid chalk and building materials. General cargo volumes remained stable at around 2.7 million tonnes, thanks in particular to handling pulp for the paper industry and wind energy components. With around 1.24 million new vehicles handled, Emden remains among the top three automobile ports in Europe (1.29 million in 2023). The outlook remains positive: As a supply port for the (offshore) wind industry, Emden is becoming increasingly important and is firmly established as a logistics hub for automobiles and pulp.  

Leer

The port of Leer improved its seaborne results in 2024 to 16,166 tonnes (9,301 tonnes in 2023), mainly due to rising import volumes of stone used for gravel production at the site. A total of 213,090 tonnes (+14% / 186,000 tonnes in 2023) were handled via sea and inland waterways, consisting mainly of bulk goods such as building materials and peat, as well as steel plates from Dillingen for a regional boiler manufacturing company.

Nordenham

In Nordenham, seaborne general cargo handling rose by 37% to 397,024 tonnes (289,196 tonnes in 2023), consisting mainly of components for the expansion of renewable energies. Overall sea cargo throughput, however, fell by one-quarter to around 1.7 million tonnes (2.3 million tonnes in 2023), primarily due to declining coal volumes resulting from the closure of two power plants previously supplied via the port. Mineral oil products also decreased due to traffic shifts caused by the defective Hunte railway bridge. The port is increasingly focusing on renewable energy cargo, as reflected in ongoing shipments of subsea cables. A new mobile harbour crane, commissioned in December, is improving operational processes.
Hunte resultiert. Für die Zukunft stellt sich der Standort Nordenham weiter für den Umschlag im Bereich der Erneuerbaren Energien auf, was sich aktuell bereits in laufenden Umschlagsgeschäften mit Seekabeln widerspiegelt. Hierzu passend wurde bereits im Dezember letzten Jahres ein neuer Hafenmobilkran angeschafft, der die operativen Prozesse deutlich optimiert.

Oldenburg

Due to damage to the Hunte bridge near Elsfleth, the port of Oldenburg has been inaccessible to seagoing vessels since February 2024. As a result, only 24,262 tonnes of imported feed and building materials were recorded in the seaborne statistics. Yet the port had recently gained attractiveness with the commissioning of a new turning basin, which helped generate new business reflected in the significantly increased 2023 throughput of 141,756 tonnes. Through modal shifts to inland shipping and rail, and close cooperation within the port industry, total volumes were maintained at 1.1 million tonnes, ensuring the supply of local manufacturers. The port industry in Oldenburg expects the Hunte bridge to be repaired by early 2028.

Papenburg

In Papenburg, sea cargo throughput increased by nearly 2% to 541,043 tonnes. Contributing factors included higher steel imports and the handling of ship and machinery parts as well as components for converter platforms. Peat imports, at over 300,000 tonnes, remain the site’s core business. For the current year, Papenburg expects further project cargo exports in shipbuilding and plant construction, as well as stable bulk cargo volumes such as wood chips and building materials.

Stade

Seaborne cargo in Stade increased significantly by 45% to around 5.5 million tonnes (approx. 3.8 million tonnes in 2023). Due to increased production at a local industrial company, ore imports rose sharply to around 2.4 million tonnes (982,138 tonnes in 2023). As a result, shipments of aluminium oxide—produced in Stade as the precursor for aluminium—also increased to 541,877 tonnes in 2024. Handling of chemical products processed on site remained stable at around 1.7 million tonnes.

Beide großen Produktionsbetriebe am Standort Stade sind aufgrund ihrer energieintensiven Prozesse auf
Both major industrial companies rely on competitive natural gas prices to remain economically viable—important not only for the region’s 1,500 jobs but also for Germany’s independence in aluminium and chemical production. Future throughput growth is expected from several energy sector projects currently under discussion.

Wilhelmshaven

With 35.3 million tonnes, Wilhelmshaven increased its throughput by 13% (31.3 million tonnes in 2023). Liquid bulk accounted for a major share, rising to around 25.6 million tonnes (+8% / 23.6 million tonnes in 2023). Dry bulk, such as building materials and coal, also increased by 13% to around 2.6 million tonnes. General cargo grew to 7.1 million tonnes (+33% / 5.3 million tonnes in 2023), driven primarily by higher container and vehicle volumes. Last year, 843,452 TEU were handled at the Jade, a rise of 59%. With the new Gemini cooperation between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk and an expanded network of liner services, container volumes are expected to continue increasing this year. Imports in the still-young automobile handling segment more than doubled to over 74,000 vehicles in 2024. The private port industry is also making extensive investments in handling infrastructure.