The largest barge allowed on the Elbe side channel is now running regularly an express boat as a shuttle between Braunschweig und Hamburg. The new M/S "Hanse" masters the 179km distance in a transit time of less than 24 hours. "That's about as fast as a truck," says Heiko Tominski, Sales Manager of the Deutsche Binnenrederei (DBR) in Hamburg, the company operating the M/S "Hanse". "Our ship produces way less CO2 compared to a truck."
The "Hanse" near the Hamburg Elbe Bridges - Photo: Hafen Hamburg/Dietmar Hasenpusch
In its test run, the new barge was serviced in all three of Hamburg's container terminals of the Hamburg Port and Logistics AG (HHLA) - Altenwerder, Tollerort und Burchadkai. If needed, it can be serviced at other terminals as well. Overall the "Hanse" removed 93 and loaded 96 containers at the HHLA. Thomas Lütje, director of sales at HHLA said: "Transporting goods via barges regularly increases the efficiency of the port in Hamburg, they take the pressure of truck traffic away from streets and bridges. Furthermore, our customers can make their supply chain more ecological, as the new ship is especially environmentally friendly."
The M/S "Hanse" was built at the Kötter-Shipyard in Haren and handed over to the Partikulier Henning Jahn in June. It is 100 meters long and 11.45 meters wide and belongs to the "Scharnebeck-Max" ships. The hithertho used push tows have to be separated at the Schiffswerk Scharnebeck and sluiced in two parts. This is a very time-consuming process, which the "Hanse" does not have to go through. As a single transit, the time at the sluice is reduced significantly and therefore the total travel time.
The M/S "Hanse" can load up to 96 standard containers (TEU) to go the distance between Hamburg and Braunschweig, by stacking two containers on top of each other. This means, every time the ship travels from one city to another, approximately 60 trucks less have to drive; only a third of the fuel is used and a third of the CO2 is emitted. The state of the art barge is fueled with innovative GTL Fuel (Gas to Liquid) which produces less soot.
The DBR is using its most eco-friendly express ship on the route Hamburg-Frankfurt in addition to the five weekly departures of its pushed trains. Tominski: "By expanding the transportation capacities and departure frequencies, we are reacting to a rise in demand of container transportation by barge." By integrating the M/S "Hanse" into the schedule, DBR is now offering six to seven trips weekly, in either direction. Furthermore, other ports, such as Hannover, are serviced regularly. "Depending on the demand, we can use the 'Hanse' there as well."
For further information:
www.hafen-hamburg.de
For further information:
www.hafen-hamburg.de