Hyperloop Transportation Technologies partners with Port of Hamburg operator to develop cargo service

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies today announced that it has formed a joint venture with a Port of Hamburg container operator to create a system for moving cargo to and from ships.

The venture with Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft (HHLA), the leading container terminal operator in the Port of Hamburg, will explore how evolving container technologies could work with Hyperloop. As the system develops, the partners could then market it to other ports and logistics companies.

The idea is to use a Hyperloop system to connect the port’s container terminal to other shipyards further inland, which would allow the port to significantly increase the amount of cargo it can handle. HTT says it will soon begin construction of a testing terminal of about 100 meters, using a special freight capsule and loading dock.

“HHLA has a long history of innovation. Years before we we’re talking about self-driving vehicles, containers moved autonomously in Hamburg,” said HTT CEO and cofounder Dirk Ahlborn. “Together we will develop a complete system that not only concentrates on speed and efficiency, but also takes into account the issues ports face in daily operation.”

HTT is one of the companies trying to realize the technology originally proposed by Elon Musk that uses vacuum pressure and levitating pods on magnetized tracks to create a super-fast transportation system.

Founded in 2013, HTT uses its own employees and crowdsourced engineering contributions to develop its technology.