Inland waterway networks play a major role in the economic development of Europe. The Maritime Euro Region is focused particularly on the ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg, Antwerp and Dunkerque and their connecting inland waterway systems which penetrate southwards. Such ports have up to 30%
of their transhipment cargoes conveyed on the inland waterway network and this market is growing fast, extending not only to bulk commodities, but also to an increasing volume of containerized goods and vehicular merchandise.
A major development occurred in 1992 with the opening of the Rhine–
Main–Danube (RMD) canal. Its length is 3,500 km between the North Sea and the Black Sea and serves nine East and West European countries. The RMD route runs through the Netherlands and Germany to Mainz and to Bamberg, its northern canal entrance. On the other side of the Franconian Jura, the canal joins the Danube at Kelheim. That river flows through Austria, clips the former Czechoslovakia and continues south through Hungary and the former Yugoslavia. Turning east again, it forms the border between Bulgaria and Romania before turning north to touch on Romania, the southern tip of the CIS, emptying into the Black Sea.
Inland waterways are developing throughout Europe at a time of intermodal development driven by a logistic environment. Europe is experiencing increased road congestion, which, coupled with the introduction of tolls on major highways and cleaner environment, is encouraging the pro-canal and inland waterways political lobby. With its ease of intermodal transfer the growth of containerization is contributing. Hence the strategy to modernize the network continuously and those vessels/barges embracing both bulk cargo and containerized transhipments.
Rotterdam is a key hub in the barge network and is served by 25,000 km of navigable inland waterways. Additionally, Rotterdam is served by over 30 inland waterway operators, running over 120 scheduled container services to 70 industrial centres spread over the entire heartland of Europe (see Table 7.1). Moreover, the growth of inland container shipping is a notable modal shift, as demonstrated in Table 7.2.
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Table 7.1 European inland container terminals, 2003 No. of inland
It is estimated that traffic volume between northern Germany and Rotterdam is about 25 million tons of cargo travelling by barge annually. This compares with 90 million tons over the north–south axis: the Netherlands (including Rotterdam), Belgium (including Antwerp), and France. Some 80% of this volume is connected with Belgium. Traffic volume between the Netherlands and France totals 8 million tons compared with 17 million tons on the Mosel and Saar. Heavy industry around Thionville, Metz and Nancy in the French district of Lorraine accounts for much of this volume, but there is also cargo that goes to destinations further to the south, past Nancy. Navigating the smaller canals in navigable France, ships sail into what could be called
‘capillaries’, which constitute one of the most important forms of waterway in this part of the world. Of the twenty million tons of inland cargo transported on the north–south axis (Rhine–Schelde–Gent–Lille) about 10 million tons are connected with Rotterdam. A similar volume applies to transport over the Maas. Together with the Schelde, this river constitutes an equally important connection, drawing cargo to Liège. From this river a great deal of cargo wends its way through to the capillaries of northern, eastern and even southern France.
The estimated 17 million tons of inland cargo mentioned above in the area to the south of the German city of Trier is seen as the ‘roundabout category’ in the north–south navigation, because this volume first avoids the Rhine. Ships travel up the Mosel past the city of Koblenz, situated at the confluence of three rivers. Overall, 95% of inland navigation in Saarland and Lorraine is connected with Rotterdam.
In 2002 the Netherlands’ share of north–south traffic totalled 45% on the Rotterdam–Antwerp line, 80% of which was containerized and totalled 850,000 TEUs. The remaining 55% was conveyed in Belgium and French 124 Maritime canals and inland waterways
Table 7.2 Modal split containers
2012 % 2011 % 2010 % 2009 %
Barge 2,613 35.3 2,393 33.4 2,351 32.8 2,200 33.4
Rail 794 10.7 818 11.4 755 10.5 735 11.2
Road 3,998 54.0 3,951 55.2 4,057 56.6 3,644 55.4
Total 7,405 100.0 7,162 100.0 7,163 100.0 6,579 100.0 From/to 7,405 63.5 7,162 61.1 7,163 65.3 6,579 68.6 Hinterland
Feeder 4,265 36.5 4,556 38.9 3,809 34.7 3,014 31.4
throughput
Total 11,670 100.0 11,718 100.0 10,972 100.0 9,593 100.0
To/from Depot 192 160 176 175
Total 11,862 11,878 11,148 9,768
Unit: Number of TEU (“moves”) × 1,000 Source: Port of Rotterdam Authority / CBL.
vessels. The most important varieties of cargo for the north–south trade are coal and building materials – especially sand and gravel, petroleum, chemicals, fertilizers, grain (import and export), rolled steel and iron ore. Additionally, there is mixed cargo to bulk liquids by small tanker tonnage.
All of industrial Belgium is accessible by Kempenaar inland barges with a length of 63 m, a 7 m beam and capacity of 550 tons. However, vessels of 110 m length with 2,000 tons capacity operate to Brussels, Gent and Liège on the Maas. The largest vessel between Netherlands and France on the Canal du Nord has a maximum capacity of 800 tons. The Kempenaar vessels have a 32 TEUs capacity or 48 TEUs when stacked threehigh. A recent develop -ment to counter overland competition has been the provision of the pallet ship.
Similar in size to the Kempenaar tonnage, the pallet ship has automatic self-loading and unself-loading and a capacity of 650 euro-pallets. Overall, between France and the Netherlands (Rotterdam) one million tons of cargo travel on the east–west route. As has already been demonstrated, the Rhine waterway between Rotterdam, Antwerp and on to Germany and France remains Europe’s busiest network.
The push barge sector is a major feature of the barge industry in the port of Rotterdam. As an example, in 2012, 32.7 million tons of iron ore and scrap along with 25.3 million tons of coal was moved by the port, representing 13.1%
of the total cargo handled in Rotterdam. A leading German operator, Veerhaven, has a fleet of five big push tugs and 53 tug-pushed dumb barges.
Six fully loaded barges lashed together with a pusher behind can move 16,500 ton bulk cargoes in a single transport movement. Duisburg is Europe’s largest inland port, handling 37 million tons annually. It represents a major hinterland hub. In 2003 a modern intermodal terminal was opened, with direct access to Antwerp and Rotterdam, and a new Rhine–Ruhr shuttle connects to Dortmund and the eastern part of the Ruhr region and northern seaports.
An example of canal design innovation arose in 1969. A plane incline-water slope was installed between Saint-Louis and Arzviller in the Zorn valley between the Vosges mountains and Alsace on the Moselle in France. The construction replaced a chain of 17 locks extending over 4 km which previously took a day to navigate. The plan incline takes 45 minutes and involves a total drop of 44.55 m. The length of the plane incline is 108.65 m with an overall length of 128.65 m. The boat lift overall length is 43 m, the width 5.20 m and boat draught 3.20 m. The weight of the boat lift full of water is 900 tons.
This is the only transverse system in Europe, whereas two longitudinal systems of this type exist: Krasnorkjask on the river Yenisey in Russia and Ronquières on the Charleroi–Brussels canal in Belgium. The foregoing three systems demonstrate the growing importance of the inland canal networks. More focus is now being placed on developing inland waterway infrastructure.
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