FFC 5 –

A City Built from the Vessel

InnoWaTr Centre of Expertise

35

A city built from the vessel – it is the vision for our InnoWaTr partners in Ghent .

In November 2024 , the zero - emission vessel Green Wave completed

successful tests in Ghent , demonstrating innovative and sustainable urban

logistics . The vessel , part of the Urban Waterway Logistics initiative ,

transported construction materials from OVB , a trading house in northern

Ghent , to the city center ’ s historic Great Butchers ’ Hall ( Groot Vleeshuis ) .

The cargoes delivered during the tests are being used to renovate the roof of

the Great Butchers Hall a 15th century former covered market that once

played a key role in Ghent s port Located at the river De Leie the Hall is

currently closed for restoration work This test sailing is part of a broader effort

to revive Ghent s waterways for freight transport helping to reduce road

congestion and support the city s sustainability goals

A Milestone in Sustainable Construction

Logistics

The City of Ghent , responsible for the

restoration project , is committed to

sustainable delivery methods . To meet this

goal , the Green Wave urban vessel was

chosen for transporting the materials .

Goods were loaded at a collection point

outside the city center and transported

via the waterway .

From the Northern ROC construction

materials are distributed to various wharfs

in the City of Ghent .

After a two - hour journey , 15 pallets of

materials arrived at the Great Butchers ’

Hall and were unloaded with a tower

crane . The vessel ’ s design is tailored to

navigate Ghent ’ s infrastructure , including

passing under bridges , making it an ideal

solution for urban freight .

Future plans include using urban vessels to

deliver more construction materials and

utilizing return trips to remove yard

waste — further advancing circular and

sustainable logistics

Engaging Stakeholders in the

Construction Sector

One of InnoWaTr ’ s main goals is to

engage stakeholders in the construction

sector to adopt urban vessels for

sustainable freight delivery and waste

removal . Test sailings like this one aim to

showcase the feasibility and benefits of

shifting freight transport from road to

waterways , inspiring broader adoption of

this innovative approach .

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