Port Warehouse

In the AWI port warehouse, six colleagues are occupied with the handling of freight destined for and coming back from expeditions as well as the technical support of terrestrial activities in the polar regions. Supply kits for research stations and field camps are prepared and distributed from here.

The port warehouse is located in the "Kaiserhafen" on the premises of the Lloyd shipyard in immediate vicinity to the regular berth of "Polarstern" and other research and supply vessels. It offers a space of 4.800 m² for storage and handling purposes and an additional open area of 5.600 m² equipped with forklifts and cranes for the handling of loads up to 11 tons.

Different types of containers (e.g. freight, lab, workshop containers or reefers) are held available for scientific and logistical use. The AWI disposes of a general repair shop for equipment, polar vehicles and containers. The port warehouse is also the storage place for the large equipment like winches, special containers, grabs and plumbs that are not in actual use.

Each year about 200 special containers and containers with expedition freight are handled. When loading Polarstern, between 2.500 and 3.000 packages are being lifted over the railing.

The port warehouse is located in the Bremerhaven free-harbour, this means that under the aspect of customs regulations it is situated out of Europe. All goods that are stored or released from stock have to undergo customs clearance. It is necessary to inform yourself about valid regulations in due course. Please understand that any goods not having undergone customs clearance cannot be accepted in the warehouse.

The operation of a free zone warehouse is subject to numerous restrictions by the Federal customs authorities. The Bremen main customs office that is responsible for us is permanently controlling all activities in our warehouse. This means that all commercial documents, customs documents as well as the stored goods themselves are constantly being checked.

In order to adapt the proceedings of the freight and customs handling as well as the storage of the goods to the special customs requirements, in 2014, in close co-operation with customs authorities, an inventory management software was introduced at the port warehouse and the work flows were modulated accordingly.

As the contents of the packings are not controlled at the warehouse, the respective owners of the goods are held responsible for the correctness of the corresponding documents and contents, and they are personally liable if a customs offense is detected.