R.C. Govers en M.E.M. Clercks
Logistieke haalbaarheid snelle binnenvaart ro-ro schepen. Een studie naar de
logistieke haalbaarheid van snelle low-wash catamarans in de ro-ro binnenvaart.
Literature survey,
Report 97.3.LT.4993, Transport Technology, Logistic Engineering.
Research has been done on the logistical possibilities of high speed
inland-shipping roro vessels.
The high speed inland-shipping ro-ro vessel is based on a low-wash
catamaran principal which has been designed by Thijssen for high-speed
inlandshipping container vessels [H.J.J. Thijssen Snelle binnenvaart
containerschepen, Masters thesis, Delft University of Technology, Faculty
Mechanical Engineering and Marine technology, Shipping Management
(1997, April)]. The vessel has a length of 120 metres and has a beam of 22,8
metres. The speed of the vessel will be 35 kilometres per hour (19 knots).
The vessel is designed to transport new import-cars from the
Benelux-seaports by the Rhine to South-Germany and transport new
export-cars on the way back. Every trip between the Benelux-seaports and
South-Germany can be made three or more times a week. Therefore a sailing
frequency of three times a week is reasonably fair.
The biggest chance to set up a logistical system is by transporting cars.
This because cars are having a relatively low weight and a high value
compared to other cargoes.
New car transporters, car manufacturers and inland-shipping shipowners
have no confidence in the positive exploitation of a high speed
inland-shipping ro-ro vessel. The car transporters, who can make their
choice out of the different transportation modalities, prefer road or rail
transportation. Inland-shipping is only chosen for transportation over the
weekend and to solve the capacity problems that sometimes occur. The
conventional inland-shipping ro-ro vessels have a low occupation, often
less than 50 percent, and it is not to be expected that a high-speed
inland-shipping vessel would generate a higher occupation. However, to
create any profit with the high speed ro-ro vessel, a minimum occupation
of 75 percent is required.
The occupation level of the conventional ro-ro vessels is much higher on
the route from the Benelux-seaports to South-Germany than on the way back.
For that reason a study has taken place on the possibilities to generate a
higher occupation level on the route from South-Germany to the
Benelux-seaports. For BMW or Mercedes, who have fabrication plants in
South-Germany and therefore are able to choose between the different
modalities, a study has taken place to transport their new cars for export
overseas via Rotterdam instead of Bremen or Hamburg. It appears that the
high speed ro-ro vessel will not create any cost reduction on the present
transportation costs for BMW or Mercedes. For that reason it will not be
possible to generate more car-flow from South-Germany to Rotterdam.
The overall conclusion is that it is not possible to create a high speed
irdand-shipping ro-ro service between one of the Benelux-seaports and
South-Germany.
Reports on Logistic Engineering (in Dutch)
Modified: 2000.03.27;
logistics@3mE.tudelft.nl
, TU Delft
/ 3mE
/ TT
/ LT.