INLAND WATERWAYS LOGISTICS Operational Requirements & Vessels’ Characteristics Master’s Thesis in the Master’s Programme Maritime Management Amir Bakhshian Kourosh Mohammadpour Kachlami Department of Technology Management and Economics Division of service management and logistics CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Gothenburg, Sweden 2019 Report No. E 2019:008 1 2 MASTER’S THESIS E 2019:008 INLAND WATERWAYS LOGISTICS Operation Requirements & Vessels’ Characteristics Amir Bakhshian Kourosh Mohammadpour Kachlami Tutor, Chalmers: Violeta Roso Tutor, SSPA: Sara Rogerson & Vendela Santén Department of Technology Management and Economics Division of service management and logistics CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Gothenburg, Sweden 2019 3 INLAND WATERWAYS LOGISTICS IWT Operation & Vessels’ Characteristics Amir Bakhshian Kourosh Mohammadpour Kachlami © AMIR BAKHSHIAN & KOUROSH MOHAMMADPOUR KACHLAMI, 2019. Master’s Thesis E 2019:008 Department of Technology Management and Economics Division of service management and logistics Chalmers University of Technology SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden Telephone: + 46 (0)31-772 1000 Cover: Pic: Mercurius, 2016 https://www.mercurius-group.nl/vloot/mcks-mercurius/ Chalmers digitaltryck Gothenburg, Sweden 2019 https://www.mercurius-group.nl/vloot/mcks-mercurius/ https://www.mercurius-group.nl/vloot/mcks-mercurius/ 4 Abstract Inland waterway transport (IWT) is a complex system with numerous components and specifications; performance and competitiveness of IWT rely, to a large extent, on the fleet, the vessels’ structure and capacity, the vessels’ equipment and management. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse and distinguish the fleets according to their performance, equipment and technical parameters. The purpose of this master’s thesis is to investigate the operational requirements and vessel characteristics required for the well-functioning IWT in the area of Göta älv - Lake Vänern. The data for the study was collected through the relevant literature, study visits and interviews as well as cross-referencing them with the authors own experiences. This objective however would have been achievable only by investigating the vessels characteristics, operational features and reasons behind those in Northern Europe’s main Inland waterways. The main and dominant of these inland waterways are, the Danube and Rhine; also including some countries on the routes investigated. Sequentially, it follows the general characteristics of inland waterways’ vessels in those two routes, the operational features and reasons behind, in the two main dominant Inland waterways. In the same way, operational requirements and conditions of IWT for the area of project have been investigated to find out shortcomings and render a SWOT analysis developed for the presenting of recommendations for the threats and weakness on the bases of key learnings and finding from the Northern Europe Inland waterways vessels characteristics, operational features of vessels and terminals. Findings on the Rhine and Danube IWT indicate that vessels’ characteristics and operational features as well as the ports conditions are regionally different and are affected by various factors such as the locks’ allowance, nautical status of waterways, economy of the region, etc. The recommendations for the promotion of IWT business in the Göta Älv-Lake Vänern are made in the domain of vessels’ characteristics and operational features, the facility requirements, such as futures locks’ dimensions, lifting gear for the container operation either on the vessels or ports, and the regulations’ requirements for the ice and pilotage, etc. Key words: IWW, IWT, vessels, SWWs, corridor. Acknowledgments First, we would like to express our appreciation to our thesis’ advisor, Associate professor Violeta Roso, associate professor at Service Management and Logistics, Technology Management and Economics at the Chalmers University of Technology. She consistently steered our work in the right direction whenever it needed. We also would like to thank Vendela Santén, PhD and Sara Rogerson, PhD both project managers and researchers at SSPA company (Appendix I) who constantly lead us through all the steps from forming the structure of the research project to writing the research report. They were also involved in the validation survey for this research project on behalf of SSPA. Needless to say, this research could not have been successfully conducted without their guidance and input. We thank them all for their valuable contribution to this thesis. Authors: Amir Bakhshian Kourosh Mohammadpour 5 Table of contents: 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................11 1.1 Background………………………………………………………………………………….............11 1.2 Purpose and objective………………………………………………………………………………13 1.3 Research questions…………………………………………………………………………………13 1.4 Delimitation…………………………………………………………………………………………..14 2. Method.........................................................................................................................................14 3. Frame of reference.....................................................................................................................17 3.1 General on Inland Waterways and definition ........................................................................17 3.2 The comparative views of the Inland Water Mode………………………………………………17 3.3 Inland Water Transport in the EU………………………………………………………..............18 3.4 Challenges of Inland Water Transport…………….………………………………….................18 3.5 Inland Waterway Component Concerns………………………………………………...............19 3.6 Main Dominant Inland Waterways in the EU and their shares for IWT freight……………….20 3.7 Characteristics and Operational features of the vessels for purpose of this project…………21 4. Rhine Inland Waterways............................................................................................................21 4.1 Regional Characteristics of Vessels on the Rhine………………………………………………21 4.2 Vessels Characteristics on the Rhine in the Netherlands………………………………………22 4.3 Vessels Characteristics on the Rhine in the Belgium……………………………………..........22 4.4 Regional operational features of vessels on the Rhine…………………………………………23 5. Danube Inland Waterways.........................................................................................................23 5.1 Regional Characteristics of Vessels on the Danube…………………………………………….24 5.2 Vessels Characteristics on both Danube and Rhine in the Germany………….……………...25 5.3 Regional Operational features of Vessels on the Danube………….…………………............26 5.4 Next generation Inland Waterway Ship on the Danube (NEWS)……….……………………..27 6. Comparison of Rhine and Danube vessels………….……………………………………............28 6.1 Key learnings from Rhine regional Characteristics……………………………………………...30 6.2 Key learnings from Danube regional Characteristics……………………………………………30 7. Type of Vessels trading in the EU Inland Waterways……………………………………………31 7.1 River-sea Vessels………………………………………………………………………………….31 7.1.2 Key Learnings from River Sea Vessels……………………………………………............33 7.2 Inland Waterways Vessels………………………………………………………………….........34 7.2.1 Regional Characteristics & Operational Features of Most Common Type of IWW Vessels…………………………………………………………………………….....36 7.2.3 Key Learnings from IWW Types vessels…………………………………………………..36 7.3 Small Vessels in the EU Inland Waterways…………………………………………………...36 7.3.1 The key Learnings from Small IWW vessels……………………………………………..38 8. Terminals and Ports...................................................................................................................38 8.1 Example for Terminals in the Netherlands, the MCS Terminal………………………………...38 8.2 Key Learnings from Terminal Operations………………………………………………………...39 9. Inland Waterways Transport in Göta Älv-Vänern....................................................................39 9.1 Port of Gothenburg………………………………………………………………………………….40 9.2 Ports on the Lake Vänern…………………………………………………………………………..41 9.3 The passage…………………………………………………………………………………….......43 9.4 Locks …………………………………………………………………………………………………44 9.5 Bridges …...………………………………………………………………………………………….45 9.6 Climate ………………………………………………………………………………………………45 9.6.1 Ice …...................................................................................................................….45 9.6.2 Fog.……………………………………………………......………………………………47 9.6.3 Current …………………………………………………………………………………….47 9.6.4 Wind ……………………………………………………………………………………….47 6 9.7 Regulations ………………………………………………………………………………….......….47 9.7.1 IWW National Regulation (IWW Zones) ……………………………….....................47 9.7.2 Local requirements for Maximum Size Vessels to pass the Locks …………..……48 9.8 Cargo Flows ……………..………………………………………………………………………….49 9.9 Echo Bonus ………………………………………………………………………………...……….49 9.10 Key Learnings from Route Göta Alv to Lake Vänern …..........…………………………….49 10. Recommendation……………………………………………………………………………………......50 10.1 Required Features for Vessels in Göta Älv – Lake Vänern. (RSV & IWW Vessels) .....50 10.1.1 River -sea Vessels ...……………………................………………………………….53 Workability …………………………………………………………...……………………53 -Control the vessel from wings …..………………………………………………...53 -Standardized controlling instruments ..…………………………………………...53 -Crane on the vessel ………………………………………………………………..53 -River radar …………………………………………………………………………..54 Sustainability …………………………………………………………………………..…54 -Ballast water treatment system, dirty holding tanks ..……………………………54 -Twin skin hull ....................................................................................................54 -Stern anchor .....................................................................................................54 10.2 Inland Waterways Vessels ...............................................................................................55 -Vessel’s capacity and dimensions ...………………………………………………55 -Type of vessel ...……………………………………………………………………..55 -The shape of the body, box shape and pushing shoulder ...……………………55 Manoeuvrability ..…………………………………………………………………………56 -Propulsion (engine) Power ..………………………………………………………...56 -Rudder………………………………………………………………………………….56 -Bow thruster……………………………………………………………………………57 -Propeller with cord nozzle (ducted Propeller) ...…………………………………...57 -Gear Transmission……………………………………………………………………57 Stability…………………………………………………………………………………….57 -Draft…………………………………………………………………………………….57 Workability…………………………………………………………………………………57 -River radar……………………………………………………………………………..58 -Searchlight……………………………………………………………………………..58 -Ice-class………………………………………………………………………………..58 -Camera…………………………………………………………………………………58 -Foldable masts………………………………………………………………………...58 -Elevating Wheelhouse………………………………………………………………..58 -Foldable Wings………………………………………………………………………..59 -Blue sign (blue board) Flashing white light…………………………………………59 -Accommodation (Habitability, Cleanliness) …………………………………….....59 -Ergonomic wheelhouse………………………………………………………………59 -Internal Communication………………………………………………………………59 -Automation……………………………………………………………………………..59 -Mooring (Anchoring, towing, docking and undocking) ……………………………59 -Spud poles……………………………………………………………………………..60 -Cargo handling (Lifting Gears) ……………………………………………………...60 Sustainability………………………………………………………………………………..61 -Ballast treatment system…………………………………………………………….61 -LNG vessel……………………………………………………………………………61 -Electrification………………………………………………………………………….61 Safety…………………………………………………………………………………………61 7 -Hull…………………………………………………………………………………………61 -Stern Anchor……………………………………………………………………………...61 -A rescue boat and lifeboat………………………………………………………………62 Security………………………………………………………………………………………62 10.3 Operational requirements for efficient IWT in Göta Älv – Lake Vänern……………....63 -IWT facility in the port of Gothenburg…………………………………………………..63 -Bunkering………………………………………………………………………………….64 -Ice-Breaking Services……………………………………………………………………64 -Ice class and deadweight………………………………………………………………..64 -Communication centre (External Communication) …..………………………………64 -Conflict of interests……………………………………………………………………….64 -Locks……………………………………………………………………………………….64 -The recommendation for the future lock`s dimensions………………………………..65 -Bridges and river traffic information centre…………………………………………….66 -Training and Training Centres…………………………………………………………..66 -Pilotage and Fairway Dues………………………………………………………………66 -Ice-class Regulation for IWW Vessels………………………………………………….66 -Cargo Flow………………………………………………………………………………...66 11.Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………67 12.References……………………………………………………………………………………………………68 13.Appendixes…………………………………………………………………………………………………...73 Appendix I, Description about SSPA Company……………………………………………………………….73 Appendix II, The main type of Inland waterways dry cargo vessels in the EU and their capacity equality to the numbers of truck…………………………………………………………………………………………..74 Appendix III, the most common type of vessels and barges in the area of Rhine and passage share…76 Appendix IV, Record of amount of motor cargo vessels trade on the lock Freudenau in the year 2014 in the Danube area………………………………………………………………………………………………….77 Appendix V, Fleet constructions estimation by 2030 in some European regions………………………… 78 Appendix VI, Percentage of vessels traffic on the Lock Volkerak in the Netherlands for year 2008 according to size………………………………………………………………………………………………….78 Appendix VII, Traffic percentage on the Volkerak lock for different barges formation trade in year 2008 in the Netherlands…………………………………………………………………………………………………..79 Appendix VIII, Vessel traffic records on the Sambeek lock in the Netherlands…………………………...79 Appendix IX, Tonnage and Length records on Alberta Canal in Belgium………………………………….80 Appendix X, Typical vessels traffic records on German canals and Elbe………………………………….80 Appendix XI, Local requirements for maximum size Vessels to pass the locks in Route Göta älv to Lake Vänern……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..81 8 List of Tables Table1, The cargo transport by Dutch companies in 1997………………………………………………….13 Table 2, Method of collecting data……………………………………………………………………………..16 Table 3, The key data and cross section of a “DDSG-Steinklasse” motor cargo pusher…………………24 Table 4, The operational characteristics and reasons behind……………………………………………….29 Table 5, The inland waterways classification by CEMT (Res.92/2)…………………………………………17 Table 6, The main European inland waterways as published by the UN-ECE resolution N 4̊9………….18 Table 7, The main particulars of some typical river-sea ships designed in Germany…………………….32 Table 8, The main particulars of some typical “Eastern” river-sea ships…………………………………...32 Table 9, The common types of inland water vessels on the Rhine, Danube, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and their characteristics…………………………………………………………………………34 Table 10, The common types of inland water vessels on the Rhine, Danube, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and their characteristics…………………………………………………………………………35 Table 11, The common types of inland water vessels on the Rhine, Danube, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and their characteristics…………………………………………………………………………35 Table 12, The total length of small waterways in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany…………………..36 Table 13, The total small fleet, active in 1999, under 1000 (T), below 73m………………………………..36 Table 14, The small waterways system and their usage, in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany…………..37 Table 15, Distance between the port of Gothenburg and ports in the lake vänern………………………..41 Table 16, Ports in Vänern Lake, distances between Vänersborg and ports in Lake and distances between these ports and port of Gothenburg………………………………………………………………….41 Table 17, Characteristics of Karlstad and Kristinehamn ports……………………………………………….43 Table 18, The maximum vessel and barges dimensions allowed to enter locks…………………………..44 Table 19, The Locks locations and heights……………………………………………………………………44 Table 20, Bridge names and their heights clearance between Göta älv and Trollhätte canal…………..46 Table 21, Minimum ice and deadweight class requirements for ice breaker service……………………..46 Table 22, Ice class requirements for Lake Vänern……………………………………………………………46 Table 23, The SWOT analysis of the project area…………………………………………………………….49 Table 24, Comprehensive table of the main, sub, dynamic and static factors impacts on design properties………………………………………………………………………………………………………….52 Table 25, Requirements for vessels to operate in the passage between Göta Älv to Lake Vänern for now and the future……………………………………………………………………………………………………..53 Table 26, Most important recommendations for characteristics of vessels in Göta Älv - Lake Vänern…62 9 Table 27, The present and future locks dimensions in the project area……………………………………65 Table 28, Western and Eastern type of river-sea sea tables………………………………………………..65 List of Figures Fig. 1, Estimated average CO2 intensity values for different freight transport modes……………………12 Fig. 3, The most important components of an inland waterway vessel…………………………………….25 Fig. 4, Self-propelled vessel NEWS……………………………………………………………………………27 Fig. 5, The arrangement of vessel formations on the Danube………………………………………………27 Fig. 6, Summary of key learnings from Rhine Region………………………………………………………..30 Fig.7, Summery of key learnings from Danube region……………………………………………………….30 Fig.8, A general side elevation and deck layout of “Eurocoaster” class……………………………………32 Fig.9, A general side elevation and deck layout of “Sormovskiy” class…………………………………….32 Fig.10, Structure and important components of an IWW vessel for project area………………………….55 List of Graphs Graph 1, Research approach……….………………………………………………………………………….15 Graph 2, The source NEA, (Delft et al., 2001) Medium and Long-Term perspective of IWT……………21 Graph 3, The breakdown of the Danube fleet by vessels type for 2010…………………………………...25 Graph 4, The Locks locations and heights…………………………………………………………………….45 Graph 5, Parameters that are affecting the design of IWW vessels for a region………………………….51 Graph 6, The effect of water depth on ship construction and propulsion system…………………………56 Graph 7, Shape and locations of spud poles on board a vessel……………………………………………60 List of Pictures Picture 1, The Danube and Rhine inland water ways………………………………………………………...20 Picture 2, A typical small vessel for transporting containers…………………………………………………36 Picture 3, The Göta Älv river, its connection to the Lake Vänern, open sea and port of Gothenburg…..40 Picture 4, Zone 1, 2, 3 areas for IWW vessels trade in Sweden…………………………………………….48 Picture 5, Sample IWW vessel with crane suitable for container operation in all ports in the Lake……..61 10 Abbreviations AEO Authorized Economic Operator AGN European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance ARA Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp CCNR Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine CCTV Closed Circuit TV DWT Deadweight Tonnage ETA Estimated Time of Arrival Fig Figure FRS Swedish Vessel Reporting System IWT Inland Water Transport IWW Inland Waterway KM Kilometer LOA Length Overall M Meter MARPOL Marine Pollution (One of the important international marine environmental conventions) NEWS Next generation European inland Waterway Ship Res Resolutions RPM Revolution per minutes RVBR Rhine Vessels Inspections Regulations SMA Swedish Maritime Authority SOLAS Safety of Life at Sea SWW Small Waterway TEU Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit VTS Vessel Traffic System KW Kilowatt RSV River Sea Vessel RIS River Sea Information System Km/h Kilometre per hour SSS Short Sea Shipping T Tons RQ Research Questions WBS Work Breakdown 11 1- Introduction Due to the expected trade growth of rail and road in the EU, and limitations to expanding the capacity of rail and road transport, the EU commission has encouraged using multi-modal transports with the aim of shifting transport towards the less congested and more environmentally friendly modes. As a result, the tendency has gone towards a multi-modal approach where IWT is connected to the rail and/or road transports. The IWT is a complex system with numerous components and specifications. The main hardware components of IWT are vessels, waterways, locks, bridges, ports and ports’ facilities. The performance and competitiveness abilities of IWT, to a large extent, rely on the fleet, the vessels’ structure and capacity, the vessels’ equipment and management. Therefore, it is necessary to analyse and distinguish the fleets according to their performance, equipment and technical parameters which influence their efficiency, competitiveness, traffic safety and service reliability. All the above factors, however, are governed by the costs which impact the different service parameters such as the age of vessels, dimensions of vessels, the capacity and capacity utilization ratio of vessels, the equipment and technologies onboard the vessels, the draft restrictions, operation structure… etc. (buck consultants international et al.,2004) However, the quality and efficiency of IWT depend on the waterway’s infrastructures such as port facilities, dimensions of locks’ chambers, numbers of ships in operation and flow of cargo… etc. This master’s thesis in inland waterways transport (IWT) investigates the elements and vessels’ characteristics which are required for the well-functioning of IWT in the area of the project, being Göta Älv - Lake vänern. 1.1 Background According to the European Commission, IWT is an energy efficient and environmentally friendly mode rather than a road transport system (European Commission, 2018). Obviously, while selecting a sustainable and efficient freight mode among different modes, prior to selecting a transport mode, the customer focuses on all the available freight modes, for an evaluation of costs, flexibility, reliability… etc. Normally, road transport is a dominant method which is responsible for the greatest emissions. To improve greener transport, it is necessary to concentrate on cleaner ways of transport along with advancing the improvement of fuel properties, new technologies, and cleaner energy resources. Switching from the road to more sustainable modes with lower environmental impacts is targeted by the EU. In the EU, 33% of long-distance transport freights are carried by road while rail and inland waterways (IWW) contribute less than 20 percent. Clearly, waterborne and rail transports are greener than other approaches especially in medium and long-distance transportation (McKinnon, 2015). Most of the EU countries are naturally provided with inland and short-sea waterways which can facilitate this mode. For instance, in the UK only 24% of the market is covered by rail and inland water transport mode (Partnership, 2018). There are many advantages for short sea, coastal and IWW transport such as being reliable, environmentally friendly and cheaper in price, because of the greater volume of transport compared to the road per kilometre. Just in Europe, there are 300 major ports (commission ,2018), which just goes to show what great potential still exists for the IWT improvement in this continent? Clearly, the reasons behind the extensive usage of road transport are flexibility, accessibility, is a convenience for short distance and network. Since 1995 to 2011, road transport rose 3 percent in the EU which had the greatest share among the other modes. However, there is a less positive image for the railway and waterborne transports. Even, the railway was losing the market since before 1995. But, in the same period, IWT had a constant share of 4% (McKinnon, 2015). Nowadays, unitization has facilitated intermodal freight transport such as containerization. Especially, due to the advantages of fuel efficiency, fewer carbon impacts, reduction in the cost and time of transportation. Obviously, characteristics of various modes are heavily under the influence of freight 12 flow, however not much geared to the volume of cargo in transit. On average, water transport modes have lesser emissions than the other transport modes. For example, figure 1 represents GHG emissions of different modes in the UK which clearly explains that the rail and waterborne modes are more sustainable and have greater competitive advantages than the other modes. Fig.1 estimated average CO2 intensity values for different freight transport modes (UK) (McKinnon, 2015). It is evident that road and rail transports can hardly deal with the increase in the volume of transport. Usually, just grey energy consumption of the IWT mode is considered in comparison to the energy consumption of road and rail transport. But, by considering the whole life cycle of the vessels from building to disposal, the inland waterways vessels are even more cost-efficient than the other two modes of transport. Additionally, the external costs such as climate gasses, accidents, noise, air pollutions of the IWT have a lower rate than rail and road transport. Unfortunately, when it comes to covering a small distance IWT does not compete with the other transport modes. This is mostly because the final legs of deliveries are not reachable by the ships. A comparison study over a 100 km distance shows that IWT costs compared to other modes of transport gained one in a scale of five, the rail obtained three from five and road secured 3.4 from five (Verheij et al., 2008). In contrast, and in addition to high handling costs in short distances, in the door- to- door transport, IWT loses the competition to the road mode (Verheij et al., 2008). In general, IWT is a slow mode however with the advantage of enjoying high payloads which make it a suitable model for transporting massive cargoes such as the liquid or dry bulk cargo. The special advantage of IWT, however, is safety in transport of hazardous cargoes compared to other modes. In the EU, particularly by considering the main backbone of IWT which is natural existing rivers, in contrast to the required infrastructures for the road and rail transport, IWT seems more reasonable in terms of required infrastructures. From an economic view, the maintenance and running costs of the relevant infrastructure are also lower than other modes of transport. One of the IWT drawbacks is inflexibility, compared to the other modes. it simply cannot accommodate seasonal peaks easily. The vessels in IWT cannot be re-routed too, due to the vessels’ customization for specific regions (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). In this regard, an innovative approach could be focusing on the concept of the vessels which are involved in the IWT in other European countries for better piloting in such countries like Sweden where the IWT share is not promising yet. A part of this thesis is to better understand the concept and characteristics of the IWT vessels in other European countries and then using the key learnings as a pilot for Sweden. 13 Inland shipping is widely different from country to country or region to region. But there are some common principles in all regions. The least expensive mode of transport will mostly be a winner in the region and will be used widely in that area. Obviously, IWT to a large extent relies on geographical location. For instance, 45% of the Netherlands’ cargo ton per km, both that of the national and international, are transported by water mode. The same in Germany is 14% and in Belgium it is 14% (Verheij et al., 2008). Furthermore, the Netherlands uses IWT transport by 18% (Statistiek, 2018). The Below table provides the percentage of cargo transported by different modes in the Netherlands, which indicates that IWT has a promising share. This is at a time when Sweden uses 0.7 % of IWT mode for the movement of goods (Vierth, 2012). Modality National cargo transport International cargo transport Road transport 77 % 35 % Inland navigation 22 % 60 % Rail transport 1 % 5 % total 100 % 100 % Table .1 The cargo transport by Dutch companies in 1997 (tons) (Verheij et al., 2008) As a result, by knowing that Sweden has about 60,000 KM of rivers and that 10 of those rivers are more than 400 km long and that 27 of those rivers are longer than 100 km (organization, 2018), it goes without saying that some of these rivers and lakes have the ability for freight transport. This means that IWT has not been considered seriously enough as a means of freight transport in Sweden yet. That also means that there is a large potential for Sweden to increase its share of the IWT mode. 1.2 Purpose and objectives IWT is a complex system with numerus components and specifications. The main hardware components of IWT are vessels, waterways and ports. For the efficient operation of IWT, the vessels and infrastructures need to be well synchronized with regional requirements and demands. In Sweden and specifically in Göta Älv – Lake Vänern, the IWT has not yet been developed to gain its due share of transportation in the local market. The purpose of this master’s thesis is to investigate the operational requirements and vessels’ characteristics required for the well-functioning of IWT in the area of the project, being Göta älv - Lake Vänern. 1.3 Research questions To understand the challenges and reach out to the aims in an academic way, the following questions are developed as fundamental points of this thesis: RQ 1: What are the characteristics of well-functioning IWT in Northern Europe? a) What are the vessel characteristics? b) What are the operational features of the vessels? c) What are the reasons for using these vessel characteristics and operational features under IWT in Northern Europe? In the first research question, the characteristics of well-functioning vessels involved in river-sea transport and IWT in the North European region is studied. Furthermore, the reasons behind those features are also studied, in order to understand the relation between those conditions and the characteristics. Later in the thesis, the requirements and limitations of IWT as shared by the port of Gothenburg and Lake Vänern will be studied in respect to the vessels’ characteristics and in order to answer to RQ2. RQ 2: What are the operational requirements of IWT vessels that are suitable for river Göta and lake Vänern? In the second research question, the vessels’ characteristics such as overall length, maximum beam, draft, air draft, deadweight, engine outputs, type of propeller, rudder characteristics, foldable mast, 14 speed, and any other quality requirement as well as all the legal requirements applicable to the vessels in the route to Göta Älv - Lake Vänern will be investigated. In continuation, in the third research question, the outcomes from two previous research questions are used to identify the relevant key learnings for improving the IWT on the Göta Älv - Lake Vänern. RQ 3: What are the key learnings for IWT on the river Göta Älv and lake Vänern in terms of a well- functioning IWT in Northern Europe, and in terms of vessels and operations? 1.4 Delimitation This thesis will take into account the inland waterways transportation industry with focusing on the routes’ specifications, capacity, limitation and restrictions, ports’ facilities and properties, as well as characteristics of the vessels involved in the regions of the study in this project. Since it has been assumed that the main potential as a future interest of IWT on the Göta river to Vänern lake will be container and general cargo transport, this study and research focus on the same type of vessels including the facilities for the container and general cargo transport in this area. Furthermore, the existing infrastructures are taken into account since this thesis is looking to gather data from the present circumstances in this region and North Europe to use as a guide for piloting IWT in the area of the project. The possibility of scarcity of material in some parts of IWT may cause some parts not to be considered in this work. Due to the limited time window of this thesis and the limited observations, such as lack of practical observation of the route Göta Älv - Lake Vänern and a single study visit in the Netherlands which has a different climate to the area of project, there is a possibility that some of the facts & features of the IWW vessels and requirements for inland waterway transport be left unseen and unaccounted-for in this thesis. 2- Method For the purpose of this thesis, the characteristics of typical vessels in Northern Europe are studied through the available technical literature, interviews and study visits of infrastructures related to IWT as well as an IWW vessel operation in the Netherlands. The scope of work also included, gathering data regarding port facilities, specifications of passages, operational requirements and characteristics of the vessels in Göta Älv – Lake Vänern through existing literature, interviews and study visits. The gathered knowledge via interviews, study visits, studied literature regarding IWT in the North Europe region and Sweden as well as in conjunction with the knowledge received from experiences of the authors are applied to discuss the prerequisites and thus propose some recommendations for the efficient operation of suitable vessels in the route Göta Älv - Lake Vänern. 15 Graph 1 – Research approach Holme and Solvang (1986) pointed out that qualitative research provides a holistic viewpoint regarding the interest area. In this research, a qualitative method is the main type of research method. Qualitative data collection in this research varies in approaches and techniques such as individual interviews, study visits, group discussions and literature reviews. For data collection, a mixed approach is used to increase the accuracy and quality of data (Yin, 2009). For this purpose, collected data from existing literature and documents within the IWT and data from interviews and study visits are used. For RQ1, to collect data regarding vessels’ characteristics which are trading in IWT of North European countries, the port facilities, the operational features of those vessels, as well as the reasons behind those characteristics, the existing literature is used. Furthermore, one of the IWW vessels which is owned by Vigilia shipping BV (AMICE) was visited on 7th November 2018. A short trip was also made with vessel AMICE in the Dordrecht canal. Additionally, the IWW vessels’ traffic control and information centre of Dordrecht was visited on the same date. On 8th of November 2018, barge & truck planning manager of MCS company was interviewed at the IWT terminal in Leeuwarden which is one of the four operating IWT terminals under the supervision of MCS. In the same terminal, its facilities such as storage area, crane, lifting trucks, and equipment for additional services related to containers were visited. On the same day, a short cruise was made on the fairways in Leeuwarden. On 9th of November 2018, the training facilities (simulation systems) for IWW vessels at the Maritime Academy in Harlingen was visited. In respect to RQ2, the existing literature, case studies and relevant resources such as the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) were reviewed. Initial literature study helped us to gain a comprehensive knowledge of the region to uncover the trends and problems. The Study of the existing fundamental and basic data regarding Göta Älv to Väneren lake IWT, infrastructures such as bridges, locks and port facilities provided a map for our further investigation. The critical points guided the authors to identify the topics for interviews. For RQ3, results and outcomes of the studies regarding RQ1 and RQ2 were discussed internally in the group to propose recommendations. In the next step, four interviews and four study visits were conducted with the following officials: Interview one, the interviewee was a strategic planner at the Trafikverket office. He is an expert in the Gothenburg pilotage area, and he has been involved in a mission for increasing coastal and inland 16 waterway shipping in the year 2016. He has had experience with sailing on the Lake Mälaren. The interview was conducted at the building of Trafikverket on the 19th of October 2018. Later, interview number two was conducted with three individuals in the form of a meeting. The first interviewee was a pilot for the south and north part of the route. He was a nautical academy advisor of the channel and had experience in piloting on the route for almost 7 years. The second interviewee was a master mariner, with the experience of piloting on the same route for four years. He had been an area manager for the pilots of the same area and in the last five years had been working in the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA), and in the division of maritime infrastructures. He had been involved in the debates regarding the new bridge which is under construction over the Gothenburg river. This bridge is supposed to facilitate maritime traffics. He was also involved in the debate of building new locks on the route. He had a lot of discussions regarding IWT in the Lake Malaren and Värnern. The third interviewee was an area pilot manager. The interview was conducted at Tånguddens hamn, in the building of area pilot manning on 22 of October 2018. On 24th of October 2018, the port of Kristinehamn was visited. Two members of Vänerhamn AB company were interviewed in a meeting, first interviewee was the port operator of Kristinehamn and the 2nd interviewee was the sales and marketing manager of Vänerhamn AB. He was an advisor for IWT in the area as well. Method of data collection Title of interviewee person (or place of study visit) Date Interview 1 person: Strategic planner of the Swedish Transport Administration (Göteborg area pilotage expert-involved in a mission to increase IWT 2016 2018-10-19 Interview 3 persons: 1- Pilots area manager 2- Pilot (Nautical academy advisor of Göta Älv - Lake Vänern) 3- Maritime infrastructure advisor of SMA (Former area manager and pilot) 2018-10-22 Study visit and Interview Port of Kristinehamn 2 persons: 1- Port operator of Kristinehamn 2- Sales and marketing manager of Vänernhamn AB 2018-10-24 Study visit Dordrecht Vessel “Amice” IWW vessels’ traffic information centre 2018-11-07 Study visit and Interview Leeuwarden Waterways of Leeuwarden MCS Terminal visited Barge and truck manager of MCS interviewed 2018-11-08 Study visit Harlingen Maritime Academy of Harlingen 2018-11-09 Table 2, method of data collection 17 3.Frame of reference The IWT is an alternative and viable mode in addition to road and rail within European corridors. Its potentials, however, are largely not exploited. Since 1956, the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) by several technical and various policies has tried to promote the efficiency of the IWT mode across the European continent. In the EU, 6% of cargoes carried by the IWT mode and through the countries around the corridors have considerably greater shares in freight transport by inland waterways vessels (Unece, 2018). In addition to the vessels and their characteristics, Inland waterway infrastructures and their related parts also are determinant factors. Canals, terminals, locks, and bridges are the main components of Inland waterway infrastructure (Wiegmans & van Duin, 2017). Therefore, in this section, the main component of the IWT, the waterways, the vessels, the regional matters, the vessels characteristics, the infrastructures and other related issues and parts will be pointed out. 3.1 General on Inland Waterways and definition There are 600,000 KM of navigable IWWs in the world, and in terms of navigable IWWs more than 50 states are provided with more than one thousand km of navigable inland waterways but, unfortunately , most of these networks are not well developed or are underused (Wilcox, 1931). Inland waterways are categorized by CEMT (European conference of ministers of transport) and according to CEMT, all waterways of international importance are Class IV and up, and are considered as important or large waterways. (Res.92/2). Table 5, the inland waterways classification by CEMT (Res.92/2) (organization, 2015) One main characteristic of waterways is their total length. According to AGN the total length of all classes in the EU is 27711 km which includes smaller waterways that are classified less than class IV. The below table provides an AGN document and further data which are available on the following: 1-European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International Importance (AGN) -1998 2-United Nations Economic Commission for Europe: ‘Inventory of most important bottlenecks and missing links in the E waterway network - Resolution N°.49, New York and Geneva, 2003, TRANS/SC.3/159, page 4, Annex 18 Table 6, the main European inland waterways as published by the UN-ECE resolution N ̊49 (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). 3.2 The comparative views of the Inland Water Mode IWT in comparison to the road and rail transport is mainly considered as a green inland transport mode with a higher degree of sustainability (Bloemhof et al., 2011). Furthermore, globalization economic and supply chain management are generating greater demand for multimodal transportation infrastructures as well as intermodal services demand (Bloemhof et al., 2011). From that perspective, and from 2000 to 2006, the EU highway transportation, increased by 25 percent and reached 73% (Noreland, 2008). Consequently, EU directives and policies seeking to promote intermodal transportation services including IWT are looking to overcome congestion and environmental issues which have been created by motor carriage (Lewis et al., 2001). The important advantage of an inland waterways’ vessel is the capacity of the cargo that the vessel can transport. The capacity of a vessel may be a hundred times more than the capacity of a truck, which is dependent on the size of the waterway and whether the vessel is able to navigate it, as per classified accordingly. For example, Gustav Koenigs, Europaschiff class, Long motor, and Joui class Rhine container type vessels are able to carry cargo equal to 36, 54, 80-120 trucks respectively as well as inland water Ro-Ro vessels can carry 270 cars (Pictures in appendix II) (Rewway, 2018). 3.3 Inland Water Transport in the EU In many European countries, inland waterways transport is a competitive alternative to rail and road transport. IWT is the most economical inland transport mode because of the crucial characteristics of low external costs and infrastructure cost. However, IWT suffers in some areas such as legal, infrastructural, technical barriers, institutional, etc. Ironically enough, however, IWT is mostly underused in many countries with suitable inland waterways. In 2007, 5.8% of total transported goods among the 27 European Union countries was by means of IWT, and in a sequence, the goods carried by road stood at 76% and by rail at 18% (Un,2018a). In continuation in the same year, the total goods carried by IWT in the Russian Federation alone stood at around 2% which indicates that the IWT importance varies within various countries (Un,2018a). This highlights the economic and geographical effects of IWT as well as the impact of regional and national policies. There is, however, a slight decline in most countries in respect to IWT’s share in terms of a modal split since the mid-1990s. That is a sign which shows that the road transport share has increased at the cost of inland navigation (Un,2018a). In the EU, the Danube river is considered as a backbone of IWT in Europe with its connections through the Rhine (Mihic et al., 2011).The backbone of the future EU multi-modal transport system can indeed be IWT, but the development of inland cargo transport is directly related to the technical characteristics of the inland waterways network, and to the navigational characteristics of inland waterways which have a priority over the building of ships (Backalic and Maslaric, 2012). In addition, Inland water navigation in comparison to other modes is very competitive, and the highest rate of European inland water traffic usage belongs to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, by considering the total load volume to the total navigable length of inland waterways (Radmilović and Maraš, 2011). 3.4 Challenges of Inland Water Transport IWT faces weather challenges which impact the navigation of vessels and the inland waterways infrastructures also. The weather challenges are such as drought, freezing temperature, floods, etc. Low water period also has an effect on the cargo-carrying capacity and equally, ice on the river may even lead to suspension of navigation, operation or may even damage infrastructures (Schweighofer, 2014). On the other side, for mitigation of climate change challenges and their relevant adverse impacts, the 19 cleanest mode of transportation still seems as being the IWT (Sulaiman, 2010).In spite of that, the rise in IWT navigation could increase ecosystem hazards, namely for freshwater fish (Wolter et al., 2004). In contrast, the development of water resources has mostly been left to the public authority due to “public good”. This has been due to reasons having to do with guarding the the water system output in nature and requirements for preventing externalities and also to the “public good” of using the water system by one party without diminishing the enjoyment by other parties (Howe et al., 2016). And this has made the developmental processes lag behind the incurred damages, as the latter is always easier to experience. 3.5 Inland Waterway Transport Component Concerns In order to have an efficient investment in IWT, there is a need for national studies as well as other navigational studies on the waterways infrastructure like lock conditions , lock rehabilitation for transport efficiency such as disassembling and reassembling of barges prior to and after entry into the locks and in the movement through the chambers (Martinelli et al., 1993). For the design of inland water ship, it is noteworthy that the same approach and parameters used for sea-going vessels are not applicable. Certain aspects such as , more effective steerability , low speeds , dimensions of waterways in the region, influence of cross flow , visibility conditions ,fairway width in the bridge openings, canals, rivers , dimensions of locks , dimensions of basins for the turning purpose , type of ship, effective damage control and minimization of damage in case of accidents as well as regional conditions and boundaries are required to be minded (Söhngen and Eloot, 2014). However, the speed of IWW ships in comparison to the rail and road modes is a major drawback. In addition, the restriction of IWWs´ depth and width creates hydraulic impacts from wave generation, flow velocities, and level of water variation on the ships bottom, channel bed and banks (Hüsig et al., 2000). Such wash waves which are produced by IWW vessels have an effect on the safe operation of other vessels, floating objects in the vicinity or even endanger life on the beaches or cause environmental damage (Maraš, 2008). However, technological innovations are continuously developing in all area of water transport vessels, on the power, manoeuvrability, speed ,design ,size and formation of barges in the towage, communication devices, automation of functions, channel and lock design , terminal facilities , and special cargo handling gears (Polak and Koshal, 1980). Vessels fundamentally for safe operations rely on the ballast water, therefore, ballast tank design, ballast water management and its processes, which are related to legislative and safety issues need to be considered (Eryuzlu and Hausser, 1978). For instance, in EU coastal waters, the IWWs and adjacent waters, more than 1000 non-indigenous aquatic species have been found. These species are introduced partly through the ballast water transportation and the hull fouling attachment to the area which caused serious ecological and economic issues (Gollasch, 2008). In the Dutch Rhine delta and in a large Western European river, 10% of invasions are from the seaports which are caused by seagoing vessels (van der Velde et al., 2002).In a similar way, the impact of such ballast water exchange on the Göta Älv is clearly visible (Håkansson et al., 2007). Therefore, the introduction of new technologies generates great environmental benefits. For example, low sulphuur fuels despite increasing transport cost saves 50000 lives worldwide per year and prevent many serious health damages (Sieber and Kummer, 2008). In general, construction of IWW vessels and their propulsion system directly depend on the depth, exit of sluices and their dimensions in the waterways as well as to the ecological conditions of the region of trade (Dymarski and Rolbiecki, 2006). When an inland water vessel is needed for trade in shallow waters, great importance is attached to understanding whether the effect of water depth on the wave- making resistance is favorable, unfavorable or negligible in the area of trade (Hofman and Kozarski, 2000). In case of an inland water container ship, the risk of watering and flooding are increasingly high due to the winding (windage area ), and therefore regulations in this regard are suited for a large gauged ship such as ships on the Rhine river while ships on shallow waters such as the Danube are at a greater risk (Bačkalov et al., 2008). In a similar way, the optimal parameters which have an effect on the utilization of a container ship on inland water transport and success of a container shipping company, depend on the size of the container vessels, on that specific route , the costs and benefits, the ship speed , the number of container shipments on that route (Maraš, 2008). Therefore, the optimization of an integrated transportation network with repositioning of empty containers has a great influence on the inland shipping services and will promote a modal shift towards IWT (An et al., 2015). Although the making of IWW vessels is shifting towards larger sizes, with the expectation of cost reduction, it will also lower the geographical flexibility of the vessels and make the handling times longer. However, the optimal 20 dimension of IWW vessels in many cases and lengthwise is not larger than the maximum allowable. For example, 135 m on the Rhine. However, the beam of future vessels will be wider than the existing ships and the optimal drafts will be close to the normal water levels of the trade route (Hekkenberg, 2013). In the same way, optimal dimensions of IWW ships are related to the characteristics of the route and the logistics chain (Hekkenberg, 2013). In addition, low depth of waterways causes low draft for the vessels in the region which in turn leads to the optimal length and beam of the vessels in the region (Hekkenberg, 2013). Furthermore, it must be noted that Information Technology in the shipping industry is aiming to improve safety and efficiency, for instance the River Information System (RIS) (traffic information and management, law enforcement support ,…etc) can provide benefits for different stakeholders, private and public such as ports, shippers, ships,…etc.(Fastenbauer et al., 2007). Consequently, there are a lot of concerns that need be considered prior to the promotion of IWT in an area. 3.6 Main Dominant Inland Waterways in the EU and their shares for IWT freight In the year 2013 according to EU statistics 532 million tons of goods were transported by IWT mode which created a freight turnover of above 152 billion tonnes per kilometre (prominent, 2018). The influential inland waterways in the EU, however, are the Rhine Inland Waterway, which includes, the Rhine connections and the canals in the west of Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and France, the eastern part and Luxembourg, the Danube Inland waterway (South to East), entire Danube connections and canals, the Main-Danube Canal as well, the east to the west corridor, the northern part of Germany, the Mittelland canal and connections of Elbe, Oder and Wisla. And, the north to the south corridor, the lower part of the Rhine throughout France and connections to Belgian networks. Three of these corridors overlap in Belgium and the Netherlands in the north-west of Europe (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). Picture 1, The Danube and Rhine inland waterways (Danubecommision, 2016) In the EU 68% of IWT cargoes are transported on the Rhine corridor, 16% are moved between countries of France, Germany and the Netherlands (North-South corridor), 14% on the Danube corridor and 2 % between Germany and Poland (East-West corridor). 21 Graph 2, the source NEA, (Delft et al., 2001) Medium and Long-Term perspective of IWT 3.7 Characteristics and Operational features of IWW vessels for purpose of this project There are many same size vessels working in different regions that have similarity in dimensions such as length, width, draft or other characteristics. Due to regulations in other regions or different nautical statutes or infrastructures their operational features, however, may be different. For instance, the requirement of one bow thruster for ships greater than 90 m is compulsory in the Rhine region according to Rhine authorities. But not in the Danube or stern chains where the length requirements in the Rhine is more than the Danube for the same size of ships. Operational features mostly depend on the operational area of the IWW vessels and compliance with the regional standards and nautical requirements of the regions. Therefore, in this project the operational feature and vessels’ characteristics are treated differently. For purposes of this thesis, the length, width (beam), deadweight and draft of the vessels were considered as vessels’ characteristics and the rest as an operational features. 4. Rhine Inland Waterways It is the second-largest river after the Danube in the Central and Western parts of Europe. It is about 1230 Km long and passes through 4 European countries. It starts from Swiss and ends in the Netherlands prior to flowing into the North Sea. The Rhine is an important deep inland navigable waterway in Europe. A lot of cites in Europe are located on the Rhine passage such as Rotherham, Utrecht (Tockner et al., 2009). 4.1- Regional Characteristics of Vessels on the Rhine Ships with the length of 110 m, a beam of 11.4 m, a draft of 3.5 m and capacity of around 2850 tonnes are the most common types on the Rhine. The other common type of ships are self-propelled vessels which have 80-85 m length, 9.5 m beam, 2.5 m draft and 1300 tons of capacity (Europe-Size). As a result, the vessels within the Rhine and its corridor have a length between 80 to 110 m and width between 9.5 to 11.4 with an allowable draft of up to 2.8 meters. The locks, rivers and canals in these areas allow a width of 12m and length of 110 meters. The push barges in convoy formation are up to six barges with a total capacity of 16000 tons. These push barges are trading on the lower part of the Rhine with an engine power output of about 4500 kW (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). However, in the lower part of the Rhine, between the deep-sea ports in the North Sea and Rhine region, the pushed convoys are still trading. The size of barges also is developed according to the navigation and nautical status of the trading area. The nautical conditions mostly are the main factor which influences the size of barges. For instance, in the Rhine and Danube barges are larger than Elbe or Oder due to draft issue in the Elbe and Oder, 22 which is around 2 meters (buck consultants International et al.,2004). The most common ships and formation of the barges in the area are 110 m x 11.4m m and 85 m x 9.5 m respectively. The most common formations of barges are coupled convoys Class Va with a Europa II barge in a long format and 4 barges in a pushed convoy (B-II) format (Prominent, 2018). According to Rijkswaterstaat classification in the year 2013 sampling the most common type of vessels and barges in the area of the Rhine and their passage share, are related to the motor vessels with a length of 110 m and width of 11.4 m. The coupled barges Class Va with one Europa II long barge and the push convoys with four Europa barges in a push convoy formation have the greatest share respectively (Appendix III). Source Rijkswaterstaat” Toekomstige ligplaatsbehoefte Overnachtinshaven Lobith 2013” (Prominent, 2018) 4.2 Vessels Characteristics on the Rhine in the Netherlands Between Rotterdam and Antwerp (and additional waterways in North-South corridor) many different types of IWW vessels are operating. The most representative types are 110 x 11.4 m. This is the most common type of motor vessels on the North-South corridor. The next most common size of vessels in the Netherlands’ inland waterways transport is (80.5-85m) x 9.5 m. In addition, traffic records for vessels in the year 2008 on the Volkerak lock in the Netherlands (according to the RWS 2010 vessel categories), shows the same length of 110 m X width of 11.4 m and has the most trade in the area. Source: Deltares, 2011. Volkeraksluizen - effect zoutdrempel op scheepvaart (Appendix VI) In this region also, coupled convoys are very common. Coupled convoying enlarges transport capacity by less cost and more usage of the resources. The most common form of coupled convoys in the Netherlands are combination of Class Va vessels with a Europa II barge (push barge (96-110m) in long- formation (BII-2l). The other common push convoys form is wide-formation (BII-2b) which is combination of a Europa Barge II and a barge in the side. In the North-South corridor, 2 barges in long-formation and wide formation are most common combination compared to larger capacity pushed convoys formation (4 and 6 barges). Extract of traffic records for year 2008 on the Volkerak lock for different barge formation, pushed and coupled convoys in the Netherlands (according to the RWS 2010 vessel categories) show that the greatest share is with Class Va with Europa II barge for coupled convoys and Europa II pushed convoys. (Source: Deltares, 2011. Volkeraksluizen - effect zoutdrempel op scheepvaart) (Appendix VII) (Prominent, 2018). In the Meuse in the Netherlands, traffics records on the lock of Sambeek show that the most representative type of vessels are 67 m x 8.2 m and 110 m x 11.4 m respectively (according to the RWS 2010 vessels categories, source: Royal Haskoning (2008), ‘MER Hoogwatergeul Well-Aijen’ based upon the MIT Verkenning Born-Temaaien (Ecorys, 2007) from Prominent project report 2018 ( Appendix VIII). In the year 2018, a section of Meuse (the section between Maastricht and Nijmegen) has been upgraded to a CEMT-class Vb waterway, which allows operation of longer pushed convoy, in the formation of 2 barges, with the maximum dimensions of 190 m x 11.4 m and draft of 3.5 m (Prominent,2018). 4.3 Vessels Characteristics on the Rhine in the Belgium Statistical data (by NV De Scheepvaart in year 2008) based on a sample of traffics from the Albert canal as the main waterway for IWT traffic in the Belgium shows that the ships larger than 2000 tones are trading in the area with approximately of 110 meters length or longer length (Appendix X) (Prominent ,2018). 23 4.4 Regional Operational features of Vessels on the Rhine The nautical characteristics and conditions are different from corridor to corridor in Europe. That is the factor which governs the technical and operational specification of the vessels operating in the region. They are equipped with a single propeller, conventional shaft system, bow thrusters, a multi-blade rudder, an engine with 0.4 kw output power per ton of loading capacity, comfort accommodation for the crew and with elevating wheelhouse arrangement (Buck consultants international et al.,2004) Almost only fifty percent of the installed ships’ power is used for going in the upstream direction and for the manoeuvring where the depth is enough on the free-flowing river (prominent,2018). The required power will be even less where the waterways are smaller or in downstream condition. And, whenever the under-keel clearance is smaller excessive power may lead to an increase in the squat which also increases the chances of grounding (prominent,2018). In the Rhine corridor fairways are narrow with enough water depth. The river cargo ships with the beam of more than 11.45 are mostly self-propelled by single conventional shaft propeller due to favourable fairways depth (buck consultants International et al.,2004). The Rhine corridor fleet is dominated by self- propelled vessels. Usually, sailing in the canals (narrow width) required high manoeuvrability with little propulsion power. But, in the Rhine it is different due to market demand that requires higher deadweight tonnage, optimized hull, high propulsion power and appropriate manoeuvrability. With respect to the optimized hull, the fundamental hydrodynamic properties which have an effect on the profitability of vessels’ operation are mostly the shape of bow and aft, propulsion system, steering system including transverse thrusters. For instance, the bow or/and the stern thrusters or the bow rudder which has an effect on the manoeuvrability and costs (Institute, 2018). Type of the vessels on the Rhine vary because the Rhine fleet follows the Rhine standards and regulations. These regulations act as pathfinder or exemplary for other areas. The Rhine authority is maintaining a high safety level which facilitates environmentally friendly transport. The Rhine fleet mostly is vessels under the flag of Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The Rhine Corridor includes Belgium, Germany, parts of France, Netherlands, Switzerland and Luxembourg. The Rhine corridor waterways comply with higher nautical standards than other waterways in the EU due to higher transportation demands and economy. There are around 5500 self- propelled cargo vessels under the Rhine class (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The Rhine class vessels and push convoys should fulfil a certain standard. which are announced by the central commission for the navigation on the Rhine (CCNR). For instance, in terms of the manoeuvrability and speed there are the following standards: minimum speed of 13 km/h in relation to the water in the ahead directions is required, stopping distance in still water which is around 305 m for ships with below 110 m LOA, stopping distance of 350m for ships with 110 m LOA or more. It is noteworthy that the distance increases when navigating in downstream or running water up to 480 m and 550 meters respectively (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The performance of the German registered vessels at the junction of the two rivers Elbe and Oder are the same as the Rhine certified vessels. They mostly have a Rhine certificate too. 5. Danube Inland Waterways It is the second largest river after the Volga in Europe, and it passes through 10 countries and 16 important cites in the central and Eastern part of Europe such as Budapest, Belgrade and it is almost 2850 km long. The Danube river starts from Germany and ends in the Ukraine prior to joining the Black Sea. Its branches flow into more 9 countries. It is classified as Corridor VII in the European Union (Linnerooth-Bayer and Murcott, 1996). 24 5.1 Regional Characteristics of Vessels on the Danube The main characteristic of the Danube class vessels is that they are mostly in the middle range, with a lower and an economic model size (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). In order to comply with the recommended standards, the pushed barges are different in size and capacity. For instance, the Danube Europe IIb is a class with a capacity between 1350 to 1500 tons and with a different draft between 2.3 to 2.5 meters. In the Danube corridor, because of its nautical conditions, the inland waterways vessels are larger than the Rhine river. Low water period in this region is the main reason that many old towed barge convoys (under certain circumstances) are still in service. On the lower and upper part of the Danube, where the allowable draft is less than 1.7 meters, at some locations, barges can be partially loaded to have a draught less than 1.3 meters (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). On the Upper part of Danube, the length of single motor vessels is varying between 79-136 meters and the pushers’ length is between 22-39 m. The typical draught of Danube ships is between the range of 2.3 to 2.5 meters according to the nautical status of the corridor. Vessels with a length of 95 m (Steinklasse vessel) are typical Danube. But, vessels with a range of length between 105-110 m are the most common in this area (Prominent, 2018) Most common vessels in the Danube area as per Fredenau lock records in the year 2014 are motor vessels between 94-136 meters length which amount to a total of 3199 vessels passage within this range far exceed another size (Appendix IV) (Prominent, 2018) According to another source, the optimum length for a motor vessel to operate on the Danube is 105 m (FatCamel.sk, 2018). On the Danube river, most dominant vessels in IWT are one pushed convoy with two, four or six barges in contrast to the Rhine where self- propelled ships are the most dominant vessels. According to the Danube Commission statistics for the year 2010 (Graph 3), the self-propelled vessels, the pushers and the tugs account for 27% of the traffic. Just pushers and tugs alone account for 72% of the traffics. And, around 90% of the traffic is related to the pushers and barges, (a kind of convey) and Finally, 11% is related to the self-propelled vessels (FatCamel.sk, 2018). To get a better picture, the below table and figures provide some technical information for a common type of motor cargo pusher on the Danube river. Table 3, the key data and cross section of a “DDSG-Steinklasse” motor cargo pusher (Rewway, 2018) Source: Helogistics holding GmbH, via danau 25 Figure 3, The most important components of an inland waterway vessel based on the example of a “DDSG-Steinklasse” motor cargo pusher (Rewway, 2018), Source: Helogistics holding GmbH, via danau Graph 3, the breakdown of the Danube fleet by vessels type for 2010 (FatCamel.sk, 2018). Source: Danube commission, statistical handbook 2010 5.2 Vessels Characteristics on both Danube and Rhine in the Germany In central Europe and the network of canals in the west part of Germany, particularly due to the high share of river Rhine freight transport, the Rhine fleet was developed over the time. This fleet consists of vessels exceeding 11.45 m beam and with many of push tow convoys which are not common in the adjacent waterways. The older type of inland waterways vessels was Peniche (Theodor Bayer), Gustav Köings (Dortmund Ems Canal bargea) and Europe Ship, the Johann Weker which some are still in use. Nowadays, as a result of improvement in the technology, new modern ships can work in the restricted canals and waterways in the North West of Germany and Danube which were under use of Johann Weker type, the Europe size ships (Institute, 2018). 26 A typical vessel trades on the other side of Germany, the Mittelland Canal, the Dortmund/Ems Canal, Elbe river (limited because of draft restriction) are provided by a German company which operates on the West-East corridor. That data reveals that the typical length of vessels, are between 67-80 meters with approximate loading capacity of 1000 tones. While barges are trading in the area with different length and formations. Source, Deutsche Binnenreederel (BDR9, “Gütertransport per Binnenschiff”) (Appendix XI) (Prominent ,2018). 5.3 Regional Operational features of Vessels on the Danube Most of the vessel transportation on the Danube is dominated by a small number of the fleet carrying 75% of the total freight (Prominent,2018). Most shipping companies originate from the former state- owned enterprises and traditionally transport bulk cargoes on long-term open base policies. According to the Danube Commission, the ships and push convoys should reach a speed of 12 km/h in relation to the water and with a stopping distance of 200 meters in upstream conditions and 600 meters in downstream situations. There is also a rough rule that says the ships should stop in relation to the water in three times of their lengths from full speed (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). With respect to engine power, the motor vessels with a length between 94 to 134 meters have an engine power between 600 to 1150 KW (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The seasonal shallow water in most parts of the Danube river causes that self-propelled vessels to be provided with a twin-screw system. But, in the Rhine, the same size ships with similar output are normally provided with single propeller because of the different nautical circumstances between the two corridors (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). In a relatively deep-water area, single screw systems are more economical. Consequently, the vessels with a single-screw system engine power between 700 to 1000 kW, 11.4 meters of width, and 2.5 m of the draft are technically feasible as well as economically justifiable. But, if such a vessel cannot use its full capacity due to draft restriction, over a long period of time it makes the vessel operation economically unreasonable. Therefore, to make these vessels economically and operationally viable, using two propellers with a smaller diameter which can be fully submerged at the lower draft, is the main option. That is the main reason why most of Danube self-propelled vessels have a twin-screw system despite having more expenses such as capital, maintenance, repair costs and fuel consumption compared to a single screw propeller on the Rhine (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The Danube class vessels also operate in the rivers in the northern areas of Germany. The Danube is the second longest river in the EU after the Volga. Because of the geographical location of Germany in central Europe, both Danube and Rhine class vessels operating in Germany they have similar technical properties (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The below figure shows the formation arrangements of the vessels which are common on the Danube corridors and around it. 27 Figure 5, The arrangement of vessel formations on the Danube, Source: via donau (Rewway, 2018) 5.4 Next generation Inland Waterway Ship on the Danube (NEWS) One of the regional Danube IWW ship designs is NEWS. The News is a novel IWW ship constructed in a project that aimed to build the next generation of European IWWs. The NEWS uses LNG-electric power for the propulsion system and will therefore see an increase in efficiency of 30%. It will also reduce fuel consumption by 10% due to new hull design. The purpose of the project was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants and to facilitate a modal shift of goods from road to a more sustainable mode like IWT. NEWS, however, is mainly for the Danube region with the ability to carry 3 tires of the container in four rows and with the capability to trade in 80% of the European IWWs. The NEWS, moreover, is an innovative design with the ability to carry 360 cars in case of a custom design for a car-carrying ship which will increase transport efficiency in the Danube area by 56% and will reduce the operational costs of IWW transport. In terms of external costs, a rough calculation showed that the usage of NEWS highly reduces external and climate change costs (Sihn et al., 2015) . Fig. 4, Self-propelled vessel NEWS (Sihn et al., 2015) 28 6. Comparison of Rhine and Danube vessels To do a safe manoeuvre particularly in heavy traffic areas or where the fairways width is restricted on the Rhine, most of the vessels are equipped with an additional steering system, (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The Danube vessels are required to go through a set of technical examinations to obtain permissions to sail on the Rhine which causes unnecessary technical burden and administrative work (Vaker, 2001). But recently the Danube specific built ships are genuinely meeting the requirements of the RVBR without any issues (Woehrling ,2002). The differences between the technical regulations are not so significant throughout Europe. These differences will not cause a financial problem for the shipowners from outside of the Rhine region to deal with the Rhine requirements or to satisfy Rhine authorities. The real problem seems to be in the five CCNR countries with respect to safety standards for the inland water operators. Otherwise, the other states will have a voice in the development and establishment of these standards (Hofuizen, 2002). The Danube vessels are mostly equipped with conventional rudder blades, a usual system due to their better fairways width and spaces to manoeuvre. The push boats commonly are provided with flanking rudders to help them steer. Most of the self-propelled vessels on the Rhine are equipped with bow thrusters. The vessels with a length greater than 90 m, mostly have more efficient bow thrusters to deliver an appropriate side thrust (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). Regarding barges, some of them are equipped with steering devices on the bows such as rudder blades on the GDP 54 barges which are normally working on the Elbe and around the canals or bow thruster. For instance, on the Europe II barges. Additionally, latest long-range push boats are provided with a more efficient bow thruster. In general, the self-propelled Rhine vessels and push boats have better power than the Danube ships. The reason behind that may be due to the German national inspection regulation on the Rhine vessels (RheinSchUO and CCNR). They are stricter than the Danube and the Elbe (BinSchUO). For example, the length of the stern anchors chain must be at least 60 meters while by the BinSchUO standards, it shall be a minimum of 40 meters. Or, a bow thruster for the vessels with a length greater than 90 is compulsory with minimal specification standards on the side thrust outputs without which there is no permission for that length of vessels to operate on the Rhine area. The width of push barges in the Danube is 11m in contrast to the Rhine which is 11.4 m. The reason behind that is passing lock chambers allowance standards which are different in two regions. In the West-European countries, allowance is 0.6 meters, therefore, ships with a width of 11.4 m or 11.45 m can pass the locks with the chambers of 12 meters. But, on the Danube, in Iron Gates Lock, the allowance for max width is 34 m and convoy of barges with the breadth of 11 m are allowed to pass (3 barges in sides = 33 m). As a result, the standard barges’ breadth is, 11m. The Danube Push barge, the Europe II size have the same cargo capacity despite a 0.4 meters wider beam at the equal draft. Nowadays, vessels with a length of 135 m are allowed to operate on the Rhine, the requirement of which was previously 110 meters. The self-propelled container vessels with a length of 135 meters, a width of 17 meters and a capacity of 400 TEUs, and in four tiers of containers are regular on the Rhine. But, on the Danube, there are some specialized vessels such as Ro-Ro catamarans which are doing multimodal trailer transports. And, some pushed barges which are oversized in the beam by greater than 12 meters cannot cross some corridors. On the Danube, due to its nautical status, the large inland container ships are not the same as on the Rhine. In the case of large container vessels, they will meet a lot of difficulties on the Danube and are therefore economically not viable. The free trade regulation allows and facilitates trade among the various national unions in the EU and as a result, it has paved the path for inland vessels traffic & transportation among them or within the adjacent corridors despite physical barriers such as the route between the Rhine and the North-South corridor. But the vessels’ equipment is compatible except for some formalities. When the Rhine ships pass through West Germany to the Elbe river, they face poor nautical conditions and cannot comply with the parameters of the Rhine GMS vessels. For instance, payloads, the lower speeds, the under power makes them economically unfavourable (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). In contrast, 29 when the ships are coming from the East towards the West on the Rhine corridor, vessels such as Elbe type vessels in Europe Size (2.5 m draught, 1300 DWT) faces difficulties on the nautical, administrative and economic hindrances (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). There are some similarities in the vessels (or barges) which are trading on the Rhine and Danube corridors that increase the potential for the vessels’ economic growth. For example, they have almost the same maximum length, draft, air draft, power, equipment and system. Additionally, there are some distinctive features between the Rhine and Danube vessels. The main feature is single screw ships on the Rhine and the same single engine on the pushed trains on the Danube. There are other differences, however, such as bow thruster requirement for the ships longer than 90 m for the Main-Danube canal etc. (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The below table shows the comparison between the two regions in terms of operational features and vessels’ characteristics and the reasons behind those differences. In this thesis, the length, beam, draft and dead weight are considered as vessels characteristics and parameters such as navigational depth, speed, bow thruster, engine power, steering and propulsion system which may be different between the regions are considered as operational features, in a comparison between the two regions in the Rhine and Danube. Table 4, The operational characteristics and reasons behind. This is a compilation of information from (Buck consultants international et al.,2004), (prominent,2018), (Institute,2108) resources as well as personal knowledge and experience. 30 6.1 Key learnings from Rhine regional Characteristics The key learnings from the Rhine region with respect to the vessels’ characteristics can be their dimensions which are affected by the fairway’s width and depth. The vessels have more draft because of adequate fairway depth and width which is a consequence of locks’ chamber allowance. In addition, the higher market demands lead to larger vessels dimensions in the area. The common and most common dimensions of vessels and locks can be classified as per the below table and graphs. L (m) W (m) D (m) Locks 110 12 1.8 - 3.7 Locks’ Chamber Allowance 0.6 Common Vessels 80 - 110 9.5 - 11.4 2.5 - 3.5 Most Common Vessels 110 11.4 3.5 Barges 110 11.4 2.8 - 4 Fig.6, Summary of key learnings from Rhine Region In terms of operational features, they are affected by the Rhine compulsory standards and requirements for the vessels, as well as to the fairways specifications and traffic density which demands higher safety standards and operational features such as single screw vessels due to having enough depth or one bow thruster requirement for vessels greater than 90 m due to higher safety standard considerations. 6.2 Key learnings from Danube regional Characteristics With respect to vessels’ characteristics, they are affected by the waterway’s width and depth as well as to the lock’s chambers allowance in the area. Furthermore, the size of the vessels is affected by the size of the market in the area. The common and most common dimensions of vessels and locks can be classified as per the below table and figures. L (m) W (m) D (m) Locks 190 - 310 12 - 34 Variable Locks’ Chamber Allowance 1.0 Common Vessels 67 - 95 8.2 - 11 2.5 - 3.5 Most Common Vessels 95 - 110 11.4 2.7 - 3.5 Barges 85 - 110 9.5 - 11.4 2.8 - 4 Fig.7, Summery of key learnings from Danube region 31 In terms of operational features, vessels are affected by the lower degree of market size, the standards which are less strict than the Rhine region. Also, the operational features took effect from fairways specifications such as two screw systems due to less water depth availability. 7. Type of Vessels trading in the EU Inland Waterways There are different types of ships in inland water transport which may differ by the region of trade. But generally, they are three types of vessels that are trading in the IWWs. They can be classified navigational wise into: - River-sea vessels - Inland waterways vessels - Smaller IWW vessels 7.1 River-sea Vessels The river-sea vessels have the capability of sailing on both inland waterways and sea. They can operate in two different nautical conditions, in the river, canals, or coastal areas. The river-sea vessels are enabled to do direct transportation of cargo from an inland port, ideally from a factory or port through inland waterways to another seaport or factory port. This option of a vessel saves a lot of time and also eliminates a lot of expenses, risks of damage to cargo, etc. The main component of river-sea service is the navigable waterways, their dimensions (width, depth, bending radius) and infrastructures. For instance, the characteristics of navigable waterways such as dimensions of locks’ chambers, the clearances under the bridges, the hydrographical conditions like rate of stream flow, the ice period and its severity, the differences between the level of high and low water tide etc (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The river-sea vessels require special technical standards to deal with two different nautical conditions. They need to deal with sea and inland waterways conditions. Therefore, they require more additional features such as hull strength, longitudinal strength, stability, powerful engines, large fuel tanks, stern anchor, etc. By the river-sea vessels, destination port can be reached without intermediate seaport calls which save time and money. The isolated destinations such as Scandinavia IWW network will be linked by these types of vessels. They also release load from main seaports and other modes of transportation such as rail and road (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The river-sea vessels usually are facing some nautical bottlenecks such as bridge clearance, locks limitations, shallow water and rough sea conditions which restrict them to trade in some areas (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The common trade routes of river-sea vessels in Europe are inland waterways and the ports between Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and rarely, some areas in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom. Other routes are around the Baltic sea, the Baltic countries, Scandinavia and a part of Russia (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). There are two popular river-sea vessels type in Europe, which can be divided into the “West- European” (Western type) or EU type and the “ex-USSR” or Russian type (Eastern Type). The Eastern type was mostly built in the former Soviet Union and the Western type are mostly built in Germany and the Netherlands. The Eastern types or the Soviet Union types can be divided into the Volga-class, Sormovskiy-class and the ST-type. (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The Volga-class are in three versions and of relatively modern design like vessels in Russia and the third version being called” Rossiya”. The Sormovskiy-class faced a lot of modifications. She is the most manufactured series of river-sea vessels ever. Her main specifications, however, have remained constant in the last 25 years. The ST- type are built mostly in the early eighties (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). And the “Eurocoaster” is the modern version designed of “Cargo-Liner”. Both have a very low air draft which makes them suitable and ideal for navigation in the numerous small waterways within the European network. The Western types mostly have elevating wheelhouse with the beam of 11.45 m which makes them more flexible for navigating deeper into the smaller waterways, smaller locks chamber and smaller bridges with lower clearance requirement (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). 32 Table 7, the main particulars of some typical river-sea ships designed in Germany (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). Figure 8, A general side elevation and deck layout of “Eurocoaster” class (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The Eastern types river- sea vessels with high and big superstructure with fixed wheelhouse are generally known as the larger and slower vessels in comparison to the Western types’ river -sea vessels. They are mostly in five types as shown in table 4 (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). Table 8, The main particulars of some typical “Eastern” river-sea ships (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). Figure 9, A general side elevation and deck layout of “Sormovskiy” class (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). 33 7.1.2 Key Learnings from River Sea Vessels The European class vessels are more compact, and with a single engine which fits the purpose (Extracted from above tables) in addition four of them, dimension wise are suitable for the present locks size of the thesis project (In next chapter) area (Göta-Älv to Lake Vänern). In contrast, and dimensions wise the eastern type, are bulky and close to box shape, so in manoeuvring perspective, it requires two screws to handle the operations (Extracted from above tables) but with more redundancy availability. Furthermore, from the above table only ST type can be accommodated in the present locks’ dimensions between Göta Älv to Lake Vänern. Therefore, as noticed totally from Western and Eastern type only, five of them can be fitted in the present lock’s dimensions of the thesis area. Additionally, these types of vessels can face winter climate conditions like ice. From a climate standpoint the project area is very close to the Russian climate conditions in terms of ice. 7.2 Inland Waterways Vessels These are vessels which are suitable to navigate in the important and international inland waterways and some of them are also authorized to navigate both at sea and coast wise. Since the infrastructure in Western Europe is heterogeneous, there are huge differences in the size and compositions of the vessels. Due to the fairway’s depth and width restrictions, the range of the inland water vessels in this region varies between 700 to 1000 DWT while in larger fairway’s depth and width, larger vessels with 1200 to 3000 DWT are operational. Besides this, the extra-long vessels (uGMS) with 135 m length and beam of 11.45 m became popular in the last 15 years. Currently, more than 100 self-propelled vessels of “Jowi Class” with 135 m length, 13-17 m width and with 3000 tonnes or above deadweight are trading on the Rhine (Institute, 2018). Since the container cargo transport has been increased in the EU, the size of IWW vessels on the Rhine and Danube areas are also increased. For instance, the largest vessels on the Rhine, Danube, Dutch and Belgian stretches, have reached135 m in length with 23 m of the beam. In case of push-tow, up to 6 barges convoy with 23 m x 270 m or 34 m x190 m, and average draughts between 3-4 m are trading. While in Europe the depth of the canals is mainly about 2.8 m (Institute, 2018). In order to obtain a greater size for the vessels, limited navigational depths and width of the channels are the bottlenecks (Söhngen and Kayser, 2010). The push boats of barges in the EU are usually classified according to their total propulsion power. According to the RWS classification system (Rijkswaterstaat), they are classified like, a pusher with a 1 Europa II barge, a pusher with 2 Europa II barges, a pusher with 4 Europa II barges and a pusher with 6 Europa II barges (Panteia, 2013). For instance, A pusher with 2 Europa II barges usually has power between the range of 1000 to 2000 KW, pushers with 4 Europa barges have power above 2000 KW and smaller pushed convoys have a power equal to 500 KW or less than 500 KW (Panteia, 2013). The pushers with 1 or 2 Europa II barges are more common between Belgium and the Netherlands (North-South corridor), whereas on the larger waterways, pushers with 4 Europa II barges are more common (Institute, 2018). Furthermore, regional fleet constructions which are estimated in Hannover, Munster, Datteln, Duisburg regions by the year 2030 for self-propped vessel (Single driving or part of push-tow unit) are vessels with deadweight between1001-1500 (T) and for the pushed barges (lighter) (part of push-tow unit) are barges up to 1500 (T) (table in Appendix V) (Institute, 2018) Therefore, the inland waterways vessels and their characteristics are governed by the navigational and nautical conditions of their operational regions. An overview of the major role of the inland waterway vessel types and characteristics in different regions reveals that hydraulic phenomena and the size of new canal govern the speed and size of vessels (Verheij et al., 2008). 34 7.2.1 Regional Characteristics & Operational Features of Most Common Type of IWW Vessels In this part, the vessels are categorized as per their dimensions, especially length according to the latest information regarding the possibility of a future lock’s dimensions (In next chapter page) of the project area which is maximum 110 m and below, above 110 m and a separate common type and formation of barges in the area of Rhine and Danube. The tables are prepared to illustrate common types of inland waterways vessels’ characteristics and their operational features in some European regions such as the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, around the Danube and Rhine. These tables present the most common types of the vessels which are trading in the above-mentioned regions with their important characteristics such as tonnage, draft, width, length and important operational features such as speed, steering system (rudders and bow-thrusters), propulsion system and engine power which have vital value for gaining speed, in the shallow waters. In addition, navigation depth of the operation areas. The most common types of IWW vessels with a length 110 m and below Table 9, The common types of inland water vessels on the Rhine, Danube, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and their characteristics. Table 9 is compilation from information of (Prominent ,2018), (Buck consultants international et al.,2004), and (Institute ,2018) resources. Photos from “Driving Dynamics of Inland Vessels”. 35 The most common types of IWW vessels with a length greater 110 m Table 10, The common types of inland water vessels on the Rhine, Danube, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and their characteristics Table 10 is compilation from information of (Prominent ,2018), (Buck consultants international et al.,2004), and (Institute ,2018) resources. Photos from “Driving Dynamics of Inland Vessels”. The most common types and formation of IWW barges Table 11, The common types of inland water vessels on the Rhine, Danube, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and their characteristics. Table 11 is compilation from information of (Prominent ,2018), (Buck consultants international et al.,2004), and (Institute ,2018) resources. Photos from “Driving Dynamics of Inland Vessels”. 7.2.3 Key Learnings from IWW Types vessels From the most common type of IWW vessels’ tables only four types of them, size wise are in the range of the future lock dimensions of the thesis project area (110 m and below) and in terms of the barge dimensions and formation, they are not suitable for the project area. In terms of the operational area their navigation depth is between 3-5 m, however, operational features are different as per regions of the trade. In addition, the project area in terms of navigation water depth are in similarity with the Rhine area, both areas have sufficient navigable water depth. 36 7.3 Small Vessels in the EU Inland Waterways Picture 2, a typical small vessel for transporting containers (Meegen, 2018) Smaller waterways (SWWs) in terms of volume, dimensions and utilization (in the current and future situation) play an important role in the feasibility of IWT operation on a lower scale and in the SWWs, smaller vessels have value for the regional IWT business. The congestion on the roads, acts as a push factor to bring more attention to using small waterways. Smaller waterways (SWWs) demands smaller vessels. But, in some countries such as Sweden with a well-developed railway network, this advantage is nullified or reduced (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). According to CEMT, all waterways with classes above IV are considered as an important and international waterway. So, all waterways with classes below that, meaning the categories I, II and III may be considered as Small Waterways. The SWWs including canals, locks (with or without ship elevators) are frequently constructed. Locks with ship elevators create more restrictions on the small waterways and consequently reduce the operation efficiency. However, ships elevator may have recreational value (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). The countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany respectively have the longest small waterways in the EU. Additionally, by the size of small vessels, with the maximum being 73 m in overall length and maximum 1000 tonnes in deadweight, the above-mentioned countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany) have the biggest fleet respectively. The below table provides data on the length of SWWs and relevant infrastructures percentage in those countries. Country Total Length of Small Waterways Percentage of Total IWW Infrastructure Belgium 596 39 % Netherlands 1802 36 % Germany 1613 25 % Table 12, the total length of small waterways in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany: AVV, 1999 (Buck consultants international et al.,2004). Country Total Number of Small Ships Percentage of Total Fleet Belgium 1183 26 % Netherlands 1850 41% Germany 636 8% Table 13, The total small fleet, active in 1999, under 1000 tonnes, below 73m Source: IVR, 1999 (Buck consultants international et al.,2004) The Elbe, Oder and connected waterways links are smaller than the Danube and Rhin