Renewable resources are agricultural and forestry products that are used for energy production or material use. Around 20% of the total transport volume on the Austrian Danube can currently be classified as agricultural and forestry products, including: wood, grain, oilseeds etc.
The following advantages of Danube navigation can be highlighted for these products, according to their typical characteristics and special transport requirements:
- Cost efficient transport solution, especially for bulk cargo
- High volume of renewable resources along the Danube axis, vast agricultural areas in the vicinity of ports and terminals
- High loading capacity of Danube vessels compared to truck and railway
- Reliable partners in Danube navigation with many years of experience in establishing transport chains for these products
- High density of Danube ports with efficient handling and storage facilities for agricultural and forestry products along the Danube
Between 2012 and 2014 viadonau held regular workshops enabling Austrian experts to exchange information and knowledge regarding the transport of renewable raw materials on inland waterways.
Presentations about success stories were given and the potential of inland waterways was discussed. The aim was to encourage a modal shift towards the environmentally friendly inland waterway.
Even though this initiative finished in December 2014, viadonau is still more than happy to deal with enquiries concerning the transport of renewable resources by inland vessel.