1) The Tidal Elbe Concept aims to sustain the port of Hamburg by managing sediments, increasing tidal volume, and stabilizing the river mouth. 2) Key elements include creating new tidal areas to reduce sedimentation, mud removal projects, and exploring options for the river mouth like stabilizing sandbanks or building dams. 3) Sediment management also focuses on catching sediments, relocating dredged materials, and cleaning up pollution in the Elbe river basin to reduce contaminants in Hamburg's port.

1. Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
The Tidal Elbe Concept
Sustaining the Tidal River Seaport of Hamburg
23 Sep 2011 Severn Annual Forum, Cardiff

2. 2
Hamburg
Schleswig-Holstein
Lower Saxony
Wadden Sea
North Sea
Tidal Elbe
Waterway
Federal Administration HPA
Natura 2000
WFD
MSFD
1
2
3
4

3. 3
1 The Mouth

4. 4
2 Kiel Canal and Brunsbüttel

5. 3 Islands and Channels

6. The Tidal Elbe: The Port of Hamburg
4 The City and Port of Hamburg

7. • No. 3 in Europe
• 250,000 Jobs in Germany
• 7.9 mio. TEU / 121 Mio. t in 2010
(24 % dedicated to Hamburg region)
• 12.4 mio. TEU in 2015 expected
• Fairway depth 13.50 m*
• Deepening to 14.50 m* on its way
* Independent of the tide
4 The City and Port of Hamburg
… but:
maintenance dredging is crucial!

8. Incentive: Dredging hit Maximum in 2004
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
Dredged Material [m3] Headwater Discharge [m3/s]
Land Treatment
Relocation in Hamburg
Relocation North Sea
Sum Dredged Material
Headwater
“why?“

9. 10
Estuaries are changing…
20021976
…and are beeing changed
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

10. 11
Changing Estuary: Land Reclamation and Dykes
>> Today 97% without tidal Influence
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

11. 12
Changing Estuary: Tidal Range and Measures
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
~ 1.8 m
~ 3.6 m

12. Changing Estuary: Water Levels 1900 - 2000
Water level in 1900
Water level today
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
Sea Level Rise?

13. 14
Changing Estuary: Tidal Pumping
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

14. 15
Nachteilige Veränderung: Verlandung
Changing Estuary: Sedimentation
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

15. 16
1. Taming the Tide through River
Engineering in the Mouth,
2. More Room for the River (Tidal
Volume) in the upper Part
3. Smart Sediment Management
considering the whole Elbe
System
Three Cornerstones:
Helping the Estuary*: The Tidal Elbe Concept
© 2006
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
* and the Port…

16. © STUDIO URBANE LANDSCHAFTEN | Ohrt v. Seggern und Partner
Im Auftrag von HPA
today
1) Taming the Tide: Future Scenarios for the Mouth
eroding sandbanks
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

17. © STUDIO URBANE LANDSCHAFTEN | Ohrt v. Seggern und Partner
Im Auftrag von HPA
future
1) Taming the Tide: Future Scenarios for the Mouth
stabilisation / nourishment
of sandbanks
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

18. © STUDIO URBANE LANDSCHAFTEN | Ohrt v. Seggern und Partner
Im Auftrag von HPA
future
1) Taming the Tide: Future Scenarios for the Mouth
long term development
of dams
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

19. © STUDIO URBANE LANDSCHAFTEN | Ohrt v. Seggern und Partner
Im Auftrag von HPA
future
1) Taming the Tide: Future Scenarios for the Mouth
Nature Protection
new dykes / barrage ?
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

20. 2) Tidal Volume: New Tidal Areas (Hamburg)
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

21. 22
2) Tidal Volume: Mud Removal
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

22. 23
Pilot Project Spadenlander Busch / Kreetsand
•47 Hectares
•Former spoil area
•Dyke realigned in 1999
•Mean altitude +5,50 m
•Implemented by 2014
2) Tidal Volume: New Tidal Area
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
+Sediment management
+Nature conservation
+Recreation
+Education
+Science

23. 24
2) Tidal Volume: Creating Tidal Landscapes
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

24. 25Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
2) Tidal Volume: Creating Tidal Landscapes
naturelandscape
productionlandscape
housinglandscape
floodprotection
industriallandscape
recreational
landscape
+

25. 26
E L
Dewatering
METHA
JV
Feldhofe
Francop
Land Treatment
Relocation
0
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
DredgedMaterialin
m³(BASSIN)
North Sea E3
Neßsand
Land Treatment
Sand
3) Sediment Management: Port of Hamburg
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

26. 27
Hamburg
“Sediment Trap“
Port of Hamburg
Prag
Dresden
Czech Rep.
DDX, PAH
Schwarze Elster
Mercury
Mulde
Dioxins/Furans
Saale
PCB, HCB
Havel
Zn
Tidal Elbe
TBT
MSFD
3) Sediment Management: Cleaning up the Elbe
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
Hamburg is promoting and
sponsoring remediation
projects in the Elbe
catchment area

27. Monitoring >>
Pilot Measure: Sediment Catchment Basin
3) Sediment Management: Catching Sediments
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA

28. 29
3) Sediment Management: RESM-Concept
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
 Expert Peer Review 2011

29. Twait
Shad, Mudflats
Gate to
Waddensea
Hot Spot of Flora
Diversity
Grassland
Reed and
Alluvial Forest
Connectivity
Grassland Habitats
Birds
Reed and Alluvial Forest
Grassland Breeding- and Resting Birds
Connectivity
PORT
Industry
City
PORT
4) Working Together: Integrated Management Plan
Natura 2000

30. www.tide-project.eu
4) Working Together: Expert Exchange TIDE

31. www.deltanet-project.eu
Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
4) Working Together: DeltaNet

32. 33Dr. Boris Hochfeld, HPA
Epilogue: Inland-Seaport saves CO2
 Port 130 km inland:
1 Container vessel saves 680 t CO2
*!
* compared to trucks

33. 34
www.tideelbe.de – www.hamburg-port-authority.de – www.tide-project.eu
Dr. Boris Hochfeld
Tidal Elbe Project
Boris.Hochfeld@hpa.hamburg.de
Hamburg Port Authority
Neuer Wandrahm 4
20457 Hamburg
Germany