Belgian and Dutch ports want single shore power system
Dutch and Belgian ports will set up a single shore-based power system for inland shipping and the river cruise industry. The Port of Rotterdam Authority has published a European call for bids to find a...Read more
Minister allots €1.5 million to development of green marine engines
Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure and Water Management) is allocating 1.5 million euros to boost the development of sustainable shipping engines for inland navigation. With the money, the Minister will support the manufacturers of ship engines...Read more
Video: Drone delivers parcel to inland navigation vessel in Rotterdam
The Dutch Drone Delta has carried out a pilot in which a package was delivered by means of a drone to the inland container ship Duancis. At the time of delivery, the Duancis was sailing...Read more
2.6 billion euros for maintenance of Dutch waterways, roads and railways
Dutch Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen and State Secretary Van Veldhoven have set aside more than 2.6 billion euros from the Infrastructure Fund to ensure the maintenance of roads, railways and waterways. This is to mitigate the...Read more
‘Europe finally sees shipbuilding as vital industry’
The European Council has finally acknowledged that the European maritime industry is of vital importance to the EU. An important development according to SWZ|Maritime’s Editor-in-Chief Antoon Oosting, because it is now included in Horizon Europe,...Read moreTwenty Dutch hydrogen projects underway in inland navigation
Inland navigation and shortsea shipping are taking the first steps towards completely emission-free propulsion using hydrogen. There are approximately twenty projects underway in the Netherlands in this field. The first hydrogen-powered demonstration vessels are expected...Read more
Automated barge transports polluted soil in port of Antwerp
Zonga, an automated 135-metre barge, has started transporting polluted soil from a former BP site in the port of Antwerp. The project is being carried out by Seafar, specialised in remote ship management, and DEME...Read more
Dutch shipbuilding order intake plummets by 45 per cent
The Dutch shipbuilding industry for seagoing vessels is in dire straits. Several shipyards have gone into the red and the order intake in 2019 amounted to just 351 million euros, a 45 per cent decline...Read moreDutch inland shippers see 2020 as a year lost
The transport of goods by water has fallen sharply due to the corona crisis. Inland navigation had already been losing ground in the transport of mineral fuels, but the corona crisis has made this much...Read more
‘Seaport throughput to decrease by eleven per cent in best-case scenario’
In the best possible scenario, transshipment in the Dutch seaports will decrease by eleven per cent in 2020 compared to the previous year due to the corona crisis. For road, rail and inland navigation, the...Read more
‘Sustainable inland navigation comes with a price tag’
‘Greening inland navigation will cost a lot of money,’ says Ruud Verbeek, Senior Technical Consultant at TNO. In addition, the alternative fuels specialist expects there will be a shortage of biofuels from 2030, which will...Read more
Interchangeable batteries to ‘electrify’ Dutch inland navigation
With exchangeable batteries it is possible to operate barges electrically on a larger scale. They do not need to be plugged in for a long time, but can place a new battery on board during...Read more
Emission measurements on new LNG-powered ferry Willem Barentsz
In June, the new ferry MV Willem Barentsz from Rederij Doeksen will finally be put into service after delay upon delay during its construction. From that date on, the LNG-powered catamaran will provide data for...Read moreHow CoVadem installs its water depth measurement box in corona times
The CoVadem platform gathers data from inland navigation ships to map current and predicted available water depth on Dutch shipping lanes. Once a ship joins the platform, a CoVadem Box is installed on board. Like...Read more
River cruising: From corny to booming, but under corona threat?
In a relatively short amount of time, the river cruise industry has become an important money maker for Europe. In his latest opinion piece, SWZ|Maritime’s Editor-in-Chief Antoon Oosting draws a picture of this market segment...Read moreBooming river cruise and innovative ship designs in SWZ|Maritime
Traditionally, SWZ|Maritime’s April issue is a special about new developments in inland shipping. This year, the focus is on the river cruise industry that was booming until the corona crisis took hold. We also look...Read more‘Clean sailing in inland navigation is not yet recouped’
‘Despite the current crisis, the inland navigation market will see growth,’ says President of Dutch trade organisation BLN-Schuttevaer Dominic Schrijer. And this growth will have to be “green”, ‘but the investments needed for this cannot...Read more
Dutch Cabinet approves ban on degassing ships while sailing
Degassing by inland tankers while sailing will be banned throughout the Netherlands. The Council of Ministers has agreed to amend the Shipping Waste Decree after a proposal by Minister Van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure and Water...Read more