The inland ports of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) need to be developed into high-performance, modern logistic hubs. This is the aim of the policy document "Konzepts zur Entwicklung der Wasserstraßen und Häfen" as drawn up by the government of the federal state.
"We want to support the environmentally-friendly and efficient form of transport, inland shipping. In addition to this, we have extremely well-equipped ports to make NRW a leading logistics region in Europe”, according to Traffic Minister Oliver Wittke, speaking on 22 February 2008 in Düsseldorf.
Inland shipping in NRW is doing well. Forecasts are based on a doubling of container traffic between now and 2025. In order to be able to meet demand, the 23 public inland ports in NRW will need an extra 325 hectares of space in the next 15 years.
Due to the sharp increase in container transport, the big seaports will not have enough capacity for logistic services, according to Wittke. More and more of these operations could be taken over by the inland ports, particularly the Rhine ports, at a short distance from Rotterdam, Antwerp and Amsterdam.
Transport Minister Wittke called on the port managers to cooperate more. The recently agreed collaboration between the ports of Duisburg, Essen and Gelsenkirchen is a good start.
In this way, the space can be utilised more effectively, the marketing improved and the efficiency increased, whilst maintaining the necessary level of competition. The federal state government will therefore support further cooperation.
The quality level of the ports could be further enhanced by optimising the road and rail networks. NRW has been lobbying the national government for the construction of the Betuwe Route and the "Iron Rhine' as rail link with Rotterdam and Antwerp. In addition, the Rhine and the canals need to be developed further, the bridges raised to a height of 5.25 metres and the fairways modified to cope with extreme water levels. Here too, the national government, as owner, is called upon to act.
"We want to support the environmentally-friendly and efficient form of transport, inland shipping. In addition to this, we have extremely well-equipped ports to make NRW a leading logistics region in Europe”, according to Traffic Minister Oliver Wittke, speaking on 22 February 2008 in Düsseldorf.
Inland shipping in NRW is doing well. Forecasts are based on a doubling of container traffic between now and 2025. In order to be able to meet demand, the 23 public inland ports in NRW will need an extra 325 hectares of space in the next 15 years.
Due to the sharp increase in container transport, the big seaports will not have enough capacity for logistic services, according to Wittke. More and more of these operations could be taken over by the inland ports, particularly the Rhine ports, at a short distance from Rotterdam, Antwerp and Amsterdam.
Transport Minister Wittke called on the port managers to cooperate more. The recently agreed collaboration between the ports of Duisburg, Essen and Gelsenkirchen is a good start.
In this way, the space can be utilised more effectively, the marketing improved and the efficiency increased, whilst maintaining the necessary level of competition. The federal state government will therefore support further cooperation.
The quality level of the ports could be further enhanced by optimising the road and rail networks. NRW has been lobbying the national government for the construction of the Betuwe Route and the "Iron Rhine' as rail link with Rotterdam and Antwerp. In addition, the Rhine and the canals need to be developed further, the bridges raised to a height of 5.25 metres and the fairways modified to cope with extreme water levels. Here too, the national government, as owner, is called upon to act.