Page 12 - Port of Hamburg Magazine 1.2020

■ DIGITAL DECADE
Action to boost inland waterway shipping in multimodal transport chains
Like other sectors, inland waterway shipping will be confronting the challenges of digitalization. Announced by the German Ministry of Transport in May 2019, the ‘Masterplan Inland Waterway Shipping’ features a special field of action with measures for the short, medium and long term.
As seen today, autonomously operating inland wa- terway craft may seem a vision for the future, espe- cially on free-flowing waters with their special navi- gational requirements. So as not to fall behind other carriers, it is only right and proper that research work should be commenced in this direction and testing fields created for trials of additional potential for au- tomation.
SHORT- AND MEDIUM-TERM AIMS
However, digitalization will provide new impulses and opportunities for optimization in inland water- way shipping on the short and medium term, too. The primary foundation for this is the improved data base. In their ‘Masterplan’, for example, the Federal authorities have agreed to guarantee complete AIS – Automatic Identification System – coverage for wa- terways in Network Categories A, B and C. In addi- tion, electronic waterway charts for inland waterways
are to be continuously improved and extended. Im- proved data on water depths for crews as well as long-term forecasts on these are equally urgently re- quired.
Extreme low water in 2018 demonstrated the crucial importance of the best possible plannability for ship- ments during periods of low water to ensure supplies of raw materials for major German industrial centres along rivers. These important steps were therefore also included in the ‘Plan of Action on Rhine Low Wa- ter’ that was a reaction to low water in 2018.
DIGITALIZATION FOR GREATER SAFETY AND IMPROVED UTILIZATION
Digitalization is especially relevant where it improves traffic flow and the safety level for the carrier. The in- dustry has long called for countrywide 24/7 opera- tion of locks. This would substantially reduce waiting times and the formation of queues, as would imple- mentation of slot management at locks. Digital lock bookings would facilitate efficient traffic handling and optimal utilization of lock chambers.
INFRASTRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS
All the examples of opportunities to improve han-
12 | Port of Hamburg Magazine | March 2020
Digitalization in maritime and inland waterway transport, rail and truck traffic
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