Independent journal on economy and transport policy
13:21 GMT+2
CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE STUDI CONTAINERS
ANNO XXXVIII - Numero FEBBRAIO 2020
RIVER TRANSPORT
MAJOR RIVER PROJECT ACCOMMODATES MEGA-SHIPS
"The completion of initial work in a river fairway widening
project has made it easier for mega-ships to call at a German port."
Vessels with a combined width of up to 98m can now pass each
other in a widened section of the River Elbe, near the Port of
Hamburg. Known as the 'passing box', the five-kilometre stretch
under Federal jurisdiction now has a width of 385m.
Similarly, the fairway along the 36km stretch between Wedel and
the mouth of the Stör has been widened from 300m to 320m. From
yesterday, in this segment ships with a combined width of 92m may
pass or overtake each other. Work began on the project in July 2019.
"With the initial fairway widenings of the Elbe, meanwhile
completed, we are on a good course, immediately improving the
conditions for calls by mega-ships," said Axel Mattern, joint
CEO of the Port of Hamburg marketing team.
The holding area at Brunsbüttel has also been completed.
This has been available as anchorage since the end of last year -
when allocated by the traffic control centre. This offers ships
dependent on the tide, and unable to make the tide 'window' for
currently unforeseeable reasons, the opportunity of waiting during
the new low water phase.
Currently, work is in progress on deepening the entire stretch.
Both ships dependent on the tide, and those that are not, will gain
from one extra metre of loaded draft. Approved in August 2018 after
a controversial consultation period, the work will be completed next
year.
Andreas Scheuer, German Minister of Transport and Digital
Infrastructure, said that the work will enable the number of
mega-ships to more than double to "2,800 containerships per
year".
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