Between 2012 and 2014, viadonau carried out an extensive initiative focusing on renewable resources. The main findings as well as a catalogue of measures with impulses for the improvement of the framework conditions for the transport of renewable resources on inland waterways have been compiled in an argumentative paper.
Argumentative Paper NAWARO 2014
In order to evaluate the potentials of specific cargo types for Danube navigation such as for instance High & Heavy cargo, and renewable resources, viadonau has been - since 2010 -conducting market analyses in the field of transport development on a regular basis. The aim of this initiative is to create together with industry and logistics companies of the sector and in accordance to their specific requirements, an information and knowledge exchange platform for the economy.
Within these viadonau-led initiatives, commodity groups which present a high potential for transport on the waterway have been studied closely. Given the high loading capacity and the resulting reduced transport costs of such goods, agricultural and forestry products such as wood, wheat, and oilseed have proven particularly suitable for transport on inland vessels. Furthermore, ports along the Danube offer optimum storage and transshipment facilities for this type of cargo.
With a share of about 20% of the total cargo transport volume of agricultural and forestry products on the Austrian Danube, renewable resources make today a sizable share of the annual volume of goods transported on the Danube waterway.
The argumentative paper is available for download (in German only).
The next working initiative has already been planned for spring 2015; this time, viadonau will focus on another commodity group with high potential: recycling products – such as scrap metal, recovered glass and waste paper.