16. Technological Challenges and Developments in European Inland Waterway Transport

In many parts of the world, vast quantities of goods are transported over rivers and canals by means of ships and pushed convoys. This makes these waterways important transport corridors. Of all modes of transport, inland waterway transport has the strongest interaction between infrastructure and the vessels/vehicles that perform the transport. Locks, bridges and waterway depth limit the dimensions of vessels that are used in all directions, while the water depth, fairway cross-section and flow speed of the water have a significant impact on the speed and fuel consumption of these vessels. This in turn influences the cost of transport and thereby the economic viability of transport over water. In this chapter, the interaction between ship and waterway and its impact on the economic viability of inland shipping is highlighted, followed by a discussion of the recent and ongoing efforts to innovate the design of inland ships with the aim of minimizing transport cost and emissions. This is followed by a case study in which the dimensions of inland tank ships that are intended for operation on the river Rhine are optimized, taking into account the properties of the waterway and the boundary conditions that are imposed by the transport chain in which the ship operates. Finally, on the basis of this case study and the discussion of recent and ongoing innovations, possible approaches for optimization of inland waterway transport and inland ships are discussed.