Hapag-Lloyd completes 25% stake purchase in Rotterdam terminal

Hapag-Lloyd has completed its acquisition of a 25% stake in APM Terminals Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam, giving the German shipping company long-term access to container-handling capacity there.

The acquisition was first announced in August and followed unconditional approval from antitrust authorities, gCaptain said. Financial terms were not disclosed. Maersk-owned APM Terminals retains a 75% stake and operational control.

The terminal is a European hub for the Gemini Cooperation, a vessel-sharing partnership that Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk launched in February 2025.

Expansion and rail restrictions

The terminal is being expanded to handle approximately 5.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units a year. A twenty-foot equivalent unit is a measure of container capacity based on a 20-foot container. The target is for after the expansion, not its current operating capacity.

The work includes an additional 1,000 meters of deep-sea quay, doubling the total berth length to 2,000 meters, as well as more yard capacity, 4 additional rail tracks and more automated equipment. Terminal managing director Harold Kunst said Hapag-Lloyd’s participation supports the expansion and that the terminal’s focus remains safe, reliable operations for all customers and delivering the additional capacity and performance they need.

During the expansion and testing, changes to the area between the rail tracks and yard are reducing available rail capacity by approximately 40% compared with regular operations, APM Terminals says. It expects the adjustment, in place from 1 July 2026, to last through the end of June 2027. Rail services remain available in defined, pre-agreed time slots.

The deal also forms part of Hapag-Lloyd’s plan to expand its terminal business through Hanseatic Global Terminals. The division holds stakes in 24 marine terminals worldwide and aims for approximately 30 investments by 2030.