Elbe dredging decision expected in October

A judicial decision on the deepening and widening of Germany’s River Elbe, key to the Port of Hamburg’s ambition to improve access for the largest vessels, is expected in October.

The port’s marketing chief executive Axel Mattern stressed that, thought the deepening was important, the port would survive whichever way the judge decides.

“To be able to handle the big ships of the future, the harbour deepening is of vital importance for the port, but I don’t think Hamburg will become a dying port; it is still a good port and in that case nothing will change from the situation we have now,” he said.