FFC 2 – A Port Connection

InnoWaTr Centre of Expertise

26

Bremerhaven and Hamburg are the

two most important seaports in

Germany . A good reason to establish

a permanent inland waterway liner

service between both ports .

A barge service could take

containers off the roads and might

decongest rail links to the ports as

well

Wirtschaftsverband Weser and

Rhenus Partnership Hanse developed

a concept to provide such a service .

The barge “ Steigerwald ” was the first

on this itenary . Rhenus currently

deploys two barges on a rotation

from Minden to Bremerhaven and

another five on a separate one from

Minden / Hannover / Braunschweig /

Fallersleben to Hamburg

The initial sailings revealed that a

direct inland waterway connection

between both ports is hardly

attractive for shippers

However , two

seperate itenaries as

currently operated

might make

economic sense .

The partners report

that bulk and project

shipments were

managed

successfully on a

case - by - case basis .

However , containers

still remain the

exception on this

trade . Long transit

times seem

unattractive , even

for empty boxes .

Further , vessel

deployment needs to

address imbalances

between

Bremerhaven and

Hamburg to smooth

load factors on in -

and outbound

voyages

Jessica Nolte ( RHENUS ) and Thomas Voigt ( WVW )