Hapag-Lloyd Completes 25% Stake in Rotterdam's Maasvlakte II
Hapag-Lloyd now owns a quarter of the Maasvlakte II container terminal in Rotterdam. The deal binds the German carrier closer to Maersk, its partner in the Gemini Cooperation.
What Hapag-Lloyd has bought
The transaction was announced on Friday, after antitrust authorities gave unconditional approval. It was first announced in August. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Maersk-owned APM Terminals keeps 75% of the terminal and operational control. With the stake, Hapag-Lloyd can count on container-handling capacity at the terminal for years to come.
A hub for the Gemini network
Maasvlakte II is a key European hub for Gemini, the vessel-sharing partnership Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd launched in February 2025. The network is built on a hub-and-spoke model meant to improve schedule reliability. A shared stake in a major gateway lines up the two companies' terminal interests.
An expansion already under way
Maasvlakte II opened in 2015 and ranks among the world's most automated container terminals. The expansion now under way adds 1,000 metres of deep-sea quay and takes the berth line to 2,000 metres. A larger yard, four more rail tracks and further automated equipment come with it.
The aim is to lift annual handling capacity to about 5.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The project develops another 47.5 hectares of terminal space at Europe's largest port.
Harold Kunst, managing director of APM Terminals Maasvlakte II, said Hapag-Lloyd's role as shareholder supports the growth. He said the terminal will go on serving all its customers, running safely and reliably while it adds capacity and performance.
Part of a wider terminal push
Dheeraj Bhatia, Hapag-Lloyd's chief terminal and infrastructure officer, said the company looks forward to "supporting the terminal's continued growth and development" together with APM Terminals. He said the aim is long-term value for customers and a stronger role for Rotterdam as a European gateway. Bhatia is also CEO of Hanseatic Global Terminals.
Hanseatic Global Terminals, set up in 2023, is the division through which Hapag-Lloyd grows its terminal business. It has equity in 24 terminals today. The target is roughly 30 investments by 2030.
Source: gCaptain