Rhine-Alpine News
21.08.2024
Ports on the Upper Rhine prepare for climate change
Picture by Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe
Pictured above: District President Sylvia M. Felder in conversation, from left to right: Manfred Rausch, CRANE Project Manager, Ports de Strasbourg, Patricia Erb-Korn, Managing Director of the Port of Karlsruhe, Sylvia M. Felder, District President, Jens-Jochen Roth, Project Manager, Port of Karlsruhe
In her Role as District President of the German FrenchSwiss Upper Rhine Conference. Sylvia M. Felder visited the port of Karlsruhe in August 2024 to learn about the Interreg project Climate Resilience and Adaption for upper rhiNE ports (CRANE). Crane, which is funded at 60 % by the Upper Rhine Interreg programme, aims to secure the ports’ long-term function as logistics hubs amidst climate change challenges, ensuring their sustainability.
Seven Upper Rhine ports from France, Germany and Switzerland, with Port of Strasbourg in the lead, have partnered with two research institutes – Fraunhofer IAIS and Cerema – to develop and implement a specific methodology for climate resilience of inland ports.
Within the project, the partners will identify and evaluate climate hazards and their systemic impacts for the ports and develop climate resilience measures. The ports will then prioritize and develop recommendations for a climate resilience strategy for each port.
The research institutes will have completed their methodologies by the end of the project, allowing them to support other ports with climate resilience measures. The aim is to help other ports adapt to emerging risks and ensure their continued operations in the face of climate change.
When asked about his outlook on the future of IWT in the Upper Rhine within the context of climate change, Project Manager Manfred Rausch stated: “That is of course the big question that interests all ports. I think inland navigation must adapt to stay successful, but ports are not just inland navigation, they connect to inland navigation – but also railways, roads, supply networks – and you should always look at the ports as a whole and not just as inland navigation. This means that we go far beyond inland navigation, and if there are disruptions there, which will probably happen in the future anyway, then the ports also offer alternative options, and that is the great advantage of ports.”
Sources(In German):
The Project receives funding under the Interreg 2021-2027 Programme
Rhine-Alpine Corridor Conference – Vital Links – Resilient Network from North Sea to Mediterranean
We are excited to announce the Rhine-Alpine Corridor Conference “Vital Links – Resilient Network from North Sea to Mediterranean” taking place on 25 September 2024, 14:30-18:00 h in Palazzo Lombardia, Sala Biagi, Milan!
The Conference will feature a variety of different speakers, and we hope to encourage stimulating discussions through our thematic sessions:
In the keynotes session “Perspectives on the TEN-T Corridor Framework”, the European Coordinators for the North Sea – Rhine – Mediterranean and the Mediterranean Transport Corridors Paweł Wojciechowski and Mathieu Grosch highlight the European Commission perspective on the merger of the two Corridors: Rhine – Alpine and North Sea – Mediterranean and resulting consequences. The perspective of POLIS on the integration of urban nodes into the new TEN-T Regulation will be highlighted by its Secretary General Karen Vancluysen.
In the panel discussion “The Italian Regions in the wider Corridor Context”, it shall be highlited from regional, urban and economic perspectives how this part of the Corridor contributes to the economic, social, and environmental aspects of the corridor.
And in the panel session “Towards a new Corridor Strategy for the EGTC Rhine-Alpine”, the draft of the new Corridor Strategy for the EGTC Rhine-Alpine will be presented and discussed. The strategy is being developed, with inputs from several speakers on thematic topics such as the greening of the Corridor (focus on rail and inland waterways and cross-border aspects), spatial integration, modal shift and resilience.
Please register for the event using the form linked here until 4 September 2024.
The Corridor Conference takes place in coordination with Stati Generali della Logistica del Nord-Ovest on 25-26 September 2024. This event focuses on the theme of logistics and the economic system of North West Italy in the post-pandemic context and the recovery opportunities offered by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Italy’s PNRR).
PIONEERS Project Survey
Symbolic picture by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash
The PIONEERS project is a European research and innovation project that aims to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions for the port industry, specifically focusing on the energy transition and sustainability. PIONEERS is an ongoing Horizon 2020 project that started in 2020. The project’s main objective is to develop and demonstrate innovative solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the energy efficiency of ports. The project focuses on the development of new technologies, business models, and policies to support the energy transition in the port industry.
PIONEERS is inviting stakeholders such as Ports, Academia, Regional Authorities, Government Agencies and International Organisations to participate in a survey to help refine strategies and initiatives. The goal is to ensure the impact of PIONEER’s efforts is as relevant as possible.
Participation is voluntary and confidential, and will allow participants to help shape the future of sustainable practice adoption, discover opportunities for future collaboration, and access valuable insights and resources for their organisation’s sustainability efforts. Responses will be collected until 30 August 2024.