On 11 May 2025, the Cma Cgm Ermitage, a 204-metre-long container vessel flying the Maltese flag, collided with the quay of the Burchardkai Container Terminal (CTB) in the Port of Hamburg and one of the ship-to-shore cranes positioned at Athabaskakai. The impact occurred at around 12:20 during mooring manoeuvres and resulted in significant structural damage, though fortunately no injuries or hazardous material leaks were reported.
According to initial reports, the vessel made a sudden manoeuvre to avoid a small motorboat that had entered its navigation path on the River Elbe. In attempting to steer clear of the boat, the container ship lost alignment, striking the quay with its bow and hitting a crane, lifting its trolley off the rails. The damage to both the crane and the quay was clearly visible and prompted an immediate response from port authorities.
BG Verkehr, the German authority responsible for transport safety, imposed a precautionary detention of the ship, prohibiting its departure from the port pending the outcome of an investigation. The inquiry, led by Hamburg police with the support of technical experts, is focusing on the analysis of radar data, AIS signals, and radio communications to determine the precise dynamics and liability of the incident.
The Cma Cgm Ermitage is a next-generation container ship, delivered in 2024 and part of the French company's Mermaid class. It has a capacity of around 2,000 TEU, including 650 refrigerated units, and is powered by liquefied natural gas. The incident recalls a previous case at the same terminal: in 2023, the vessel Mona Lisa struck three of the four operational cranes at Athabaskakai, raising concerns about the safety of manoeuvres in that specific area of the port. On that occasion too, there were fortunately no injuries.
