Over the last two decades, Niedersachsen Ports has invested a total of € 165 million in the expansion and maintenance of the port in Brake.
Further projects are planned for 2025 to improve the infrastructure. Among other things, the port railroad is to be expanded.
Several major projects have been realized in Brake since 2005. The largest is the northern extension, which is estimated at €55 million, followed by the mega-ship berths on the south pier at €16 million. In recent years, € 43 million has also been invested in maintenance measures, of which € 17.3 million was invested in the maintenance and expansion of the rail infrastructure.
Further investments are planned for this year, according to NPorts. Around €2.6 million will flow into the further development of the port, accompanied by €6.3 million for the maintenance of the existing infrastructure. 644,000 will also be invested in the expansion of the port railroad and € 2.3 million in the maintenance of the existing port railway facilities.
Throughput in Brake set to increase
Throughput at the port of Brake is set to increase significantly in the future, as outlined in a perspective paper from November 2023. Accordingly, planning for a third berth at Niedersachsenkai began last year. According to NPorts, the aim of this project is to obtain reliable preliminary and approval planning for the construction of the berth and for the creation of additional port areas by 2028. This port area will be relevant for the handling of onshore wind turbines, timber and general cargo. A variant with a quay facility around 300 m long up to the Golzwarden ferry landing stage and adjoining areas of around 19 ha is currently favored.
Furthermore, in coordination with the town of Brake, a procedure has been initiated to amend the land use plan and to draw up a development plan (B-Plan 69) for the Boitwarder Groden port development area north of Berliner Strasse. The necessary investigations are currently being carried out.
“Careful preparation ensures that the port of Brake will meet the future requirements of the logistics and handling industry in good time,” explains Holger Banik, Managing Director of NPorts and JadeWeserPorts Realisierungs GmbH & Co KG. He is also calling for clear decisions to enable reliable accessibility to the Weser port: “The Weser adjustment will enable larger ships to call at the port of Brake in future, even when fully loaded. The new Hunte Bridge in Elsfleth, which is scheduled for completion at the beginning of 2028, will improve the rail connection to the Wesermarsch and its ports and secure it in the long term. Both measures will strengthen the port and its connection to the hinterland and support the regional and national economy.”
The lock to the inland port in Brake, which has been in operation since 1980, will undergo a fundamental refurbishment in the coming years. The electrical and signal technology is currently being replaced and the first recoating of the inland gate will begin after the end of the flood protection season on April 15. At the same time, necessary repairs to the steel structure will be carried out. In the following year, this work will continue on the outer gate and in the chamber.
As the lock is located in the dyke line and is an important part of flood protection, all work will be carried out specifically in the warmer months. This will lead to restrictions on the use of the inland port in the years 2025 to 2027. Information meetings have already been held to involve affected residents at an early stage.
In February 2025, the building committee of the town of Nordenham decided to draw up a new land use plan for the port areas in Großensiel. This will regulate how the areas in question may be used (e.g. commercial, industrial, port). This is a fundamental prerequisite for NPorts, as the owner of the land, to offer it for further development in a fair and open process – for example, for urban use in coordination with the city of Nordenham.
“The last gem”
On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, NPorts has asked for a stop of the railroad theater “Das Letzte Kleinod” in the port of Brake. From May 21-24, Brake will be the first of six ports where the play “Reibholz” can be seen. It is a documentary theater performance about inland shipping. For the project, skippers reported on living and working conditions on the European waterways, the infrastructure in ports and locks, waiting for freight, existential worries and everyday family life on an inland waterway vessel. “Our port offers the perfect stage to bring together the topics of inland shipping and rail. Both are important success factors for the hinterland connection of the port of Brake and they can now be experienced by the citizens of Brake in a very special way,” says Christian Helten, Head of the NPorts Brake branch.
