Rhine-Alpine News
02.08.2023
Strengthening cooperation in the corridor: Mannheim and Rotterdam sign logistics cooperation treaty
Source: Picture by Patricksommer on Pixabay
In order to improve the sustainability and digitalization of the logistics chain connecting the two ports, Mannheim and Rotterdam will step up their collaboration in the next years. Mid-April 2023 saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Uwe Köhn, Port Director of the Port of Mannheim, and Matthijs van Doorn, Vice-President Commercial of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, which served as the foundation for these plans. The Rhine corridor and a significant industrial area are both strategically located within the Port of Mannheim, from which bulk and container flows are transported to and from Rotterdam.
To achieve a transparent digital Rhine corridor, the cooperation should include opportunities for furthering the expansion of hinterland transport via rail and waterway, converting the area into a zero-emission transportation corridor for road, water, and rail freight, further increasing the dependability and efficiency of barge handling at deep-sea and inland terminals, and knowledge sharing between the two ports. The possibility of promoting infrastructure for the transportation of alternative renewable energy sources that are generated, imported, or utilised in the ports, in the hinterland, and between the ports along the corridor is being investigated by both ports.
Regarding the energy transition, both ports will consider how they may work together to support infrastructure for the transportation of alternative renewable energy sources that are either generated, imported, or utilised in the ports, in the hinterland, and between the ports along the corridor.
Source(in German):
Uniontrasporti is partner of Project CRISTAL
Source: Picture by Pvdv63 on Pixabay
With a total budget of €6.8 million, the CRISTAL project—which stands for “Climate Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Transport Infrastructure with a Focus on Inland Waterways”—is funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe program. Its objectives are to create integrated, collaborative, and innovative solutions that allow:
- a 20 percent increase in the proportion of products moved by inland waterways;
- 80% more utility and dependability of river transportation;
- Assure the waterway’s operation for at least half of its capacity even during severe weather conditions.
The Seine and Moselle in France, the Vistula and the Odra-Mittellandkanal-Rhine-Port of Antwerp link in Poland, and the Padano-Veneto waterway in Italy will all have demonstration sites built up.
The Project will develop cutting-edge technological solutions such as smart buoys to measure water level (in controlled waterways), fibre-optic sensors to detect sediment height, systems to inspect the condition of infrastructure along the waterway based on the use of acoustic waves or radar systems, to collect a range of data that will enable, also using artificial intelligence, a “digital twin” of the waterway with a focus on data analysis, resilience, and security.
A system for managing the synchromodality of the corridor that the waterway travels through will be developed to adapt to any disruptions of the waterway brought on by climate change-related or man-made events that simultaneously affect other modes of transportation.
In the 36-month project, which runs from September 2022 to August 2025, sixteen partners representing nine nations—Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Hungary—are taking part. The project is being supervised by the Lukasiewicz Institute of Technology in Pozna, Poland.
Source(in Italian):
Western Liguria Seaport Authority receives key infrastructure funding
Source: Picture by Simonesasso on Pixabay
The Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority has received an additional 8 million euros from the “Fund for key infrastructure feasibility studies towards the economic development of the Nation, and project reviews of infrastructure works already financed – 2021-2023 resources and biennial residual funds 2019-2020” from the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
Out of the 39,466,000 euros made available for the Port Authorities, a total of 8,353,354 euros have been given to the Ports of Genoa for the development of technical-financial feasibility studies.
The money will go toward the construction of the new drydock in the Sestri Ponente shipyard (3.4 million euros), the New Open-sea Breakwater (3.6 million euros), the dredging of the Passenger Port and Sampierdarena Basin to accommodate the needs of ultra-large container and passenger vessels (148,000 euros), the improvement of the railway links to the Campasso Railyard (209,000 euros), and infrastructure improvements at Calata Bett.
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