HHLA Unveils Novel Design for Hyperloop Cargo Network

German terminal operator Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has unveiled a new concept for a hyperloop-based containerized freight transport system. Developed in collaboration with the startup Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT), the new system is designed to shuttle boxes between seaports and inland destinations at airplane speeds - without an airport. 

According to HyperloopTT, the design could move 2,800 containers a day (one million per year) on a single line system. Its pod-like "HyperPort" capsules would operate in an enclosed tube above the road network. Like a container monorail, this would eliminate at-grade crossings, with the added benefit of extreme speeds of up to 325 knots. 

“At HHLA, we know that to prepare for the future you must innovate,” said Gerlinde John, Project Manager HyperPort at HHLA. “The hyperloop technology is suitable for taking the transport of goods to a new level. With the HyperPort concept, we are developing an alternative solution to existing transport systems for the goods transport of the future for a fast-growing global market.”

HyperloopTT and HHLA say that the system is pre-commercialization ready, and will now go into certification and design review. CT Ingenieros contributed to the engineering, and design consultancy Mormedi provided its aesthetic. 

A virtual reality demonstrator will be shown at the ITS World Congress in Hamburg this October.

Global terminal operator DP World is investing in a comparable hyperloop cargo system in conjunction with a competing technology firm, Virgin Hyperloop. A cargo monorail - a less complex solution for above-grade container movement - has recently entered into daily operation at the Port of Qingdao (below).