May 18 - Figures released by the Port of Hamburg show that heavy lift cargo, as well as most conventional, non-grab cargo is increasingly being sidelined at the northern German gateway.

Sea cargo handled at the port in Q1 reached a total of 28.6 million tones, an increase of 4.6 percent on the same quarter in 2009.

However, in 2009, only 2.4 million tonnes of conventional cargo, including bagged or palletized commodities, metals, fruit, paper and other forestry products, potash and other chemicals, heavy lift cargo or oversized loads, were handled at the port out of a total volume of 110 million tonnes. The total for conventional cargo was 14.3 percent down on 2008's volume.

Meanwhile, the port is exhibiting at Breakbulk Europe Transportation Conference & Exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium from May 18 - 20.

Mangers will promote the port's range of heavy lift facilities, including mobile and floating cranes available for use throughout the port. Together with the Port of Hamburg marketing association, a number of specialised operators for breakbulk and project cargo from the Hamburg metropolitan region are exhibiting in Antwerp: Brunsbüttel Ports, Buss Ports, Paul Grimm GmbH, Rhenus Midgard GmbH and Wallmann & Co.