Port of Antwerp pushing barge shipping
The port of Antwerp wants to increase the share of inland waterway transport from the current 38% to 42% by 2030. This goal means that 4% of the current transport volume has to be shifted from road to inland waterway.
The container inland shipping action plan - a logistics initiative supported by Antwerp’s port authority - aims to further enhance cooperation among all supply chain partners. The scheme is banking on a combination of bundling, digitalisation and planning inland vessel movements. Part of the bundling foresees that each inland waterway vessel should transport as many containers as possible.
When the Belgian port implements the plan, inland vessels will have to carry a minimum of 30 containers, which should significantly reduce the number of trucks on the Antwerp ring road. The port of Antwerp is also strongly committed to the use of short sea traffic for moving goods from Belgium to Spain or Turkey, for example. (kd)