€30 billion for infrastructure projects connecting EU regions
Rhine-Alpine News
07.07.2021
EP Adopted CEF 2 Regulation
On Wednesday, Parliament adopted the upgraded Connecting Europe Facility programme and released new funds for transport, digital and energy projects for 2021-2027. The Connecting Europe Facility will fund cross-border transport, energy and digital projects. €30 billions are available for infrastructure projects connecting EU regions. New funds for cross-border transport, energy and digital projects are available from 2021 on. 60 percent of funds go to climate-related objectives. The full press release can be found here:
Ports team up to reduce ship emissions at berth
Image: Port of Antwerp
The large ships of today need huge amounts of electricity, even when at berth in port. Thus, their diesel generators run around the clock. In ports this is not environmentally friendly, especially because of proximity to port cities. Land sourcing has so far not been possible at a big scale, due to the huge capacity of the power grid needed as well as due to lack of standardization among ships.
The large ports of Northwestern Europe, among them Antwerp and Rotterdam at the Rhine-Alpine Corridor, have now teamed up to implement power sourcing from shore. Find the details here (external link).
EFIP supports roadmap for inland waterways
Photo: EFIP
In the past year, the European Commission has elaborated a “Roadmap” on its strategy regarding inland waterways “Navigation And Inland Waterway Action and Development in Europe (NAIADES) III Action Plan 2021-2027”, which you can find here (external link).
Now the European Federation of Inland Ports EFIP explicitly backs this plan. EFIP President Friedrich Lehr commented: “NAIADES has always been a cornerstone of inland shipping’s growth in Europe. Given the transformation the European Green Deal has foreseen, the next NAIADES step is now more needed than ever. Inland shipping has to address the challenges of climate change, including increasing its modal share and greening of the fleet, in order to navigate its future.” Find the whole statement here (external link).
New web site launched for Upper Rhine rail construction
Increasing the capacity of the railway line along the Upper Rhine Valley between Karlsruhe and Basel is one of the main infrastructure projects of German rail and infrastructure operator Deutsche Bahn. DB communicates this long-term project via a specific web site with lots of detail and frequent news. The site www.karlsruhe-basel.de has recently been reworked and now offers easy access to project overview as well as news and local details.