PROMINENT

Europe is home to an extensive network of inland waterways, yet they are relatively underused in some areas of the continent. Energy-efficient technologies could help reduce the environmental impact of inland waterway transport, providing an efficient alternative to road transport, as Prominent project coordinator Jaap Gebraad explains

Green technologies for Europe’s inland waterways

There are around 37,000 kilometres of inland waterways in the European Union, and the network has long been used to transport cargo and people throughout the continent. While it still plays an important transport role in some countries, particularly in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, the network is relatively under-used in other parts of Europe according to Jaap Gebraad, the coordinator of the Prominent project. “There is a lot of under-used potential in some countries with an inter-connected waterway system, for example those countries that lie on the River Danube,” he says. Funded under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, the Prominent project is addressing technical issues around inland waterway transport (IWT), part of the wider goal of promoting inland navigation as an alternative to road transport. “Within the Prominent project, we will standardise greening technologies which have the potential to be taken up by the IWT market, or have already been partially taken up,” outlines Gebraad.

The starting point in this work is identifying the vessels that use Europe’s inland waterways and analysing typical usage patterns. From this, researchers can then look to address the key technical development priorities in the IWT sector, a central element of the project’s agenda. “Before you can identify what technologies are applicable to the fleet, you first have to be aware of what the fleet is and how it is used. How many of the same types of vessels are there? What are the engine characteristics?” points out Gebraad. The project is working to reduce the environmental impact of both newly-built vessels and older vessels, which tend to be less environmentally friendly. “In general, the older the vessel, the more polluting it is,” says Gebraad. “We have identified a number of options to reduce the environmental impact of IWT. One is modifying diesel engines, which is applicable to existing vessels. Another one, applicable to both new and existing vessels, is energy-efficient navigation. How can you sail as efficiently as possible?”

Liquid natural gas

Researchers are developing an energyefficient navigation system to help skippers sail their vessels more efficiently, while a number of other technologies are being investigated within the project. One major area of research is the use of liquid natural gas (LNG), a more environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional fuels; only a relatively small proportion of vessels in inland waterways currently use LNG, in large part due to logistical and financial factors. “First of all, there are hardly any facilities to ‘bunker’ the fuel, then there’s the cost of investment,” explains Gebraad. Researchers in the project aim to support the introduction of LNG on a wider basis, part of the wider goal of reducing the environmental impact of IWT, which Gebraad believes could have a positive impact on the sector. “If we can prove that IWT is less polluting than other transport modalities, this might help the sector to increase its market share in the transport chain,” he says.

This work in promoting new, energyefficient technologies will be key to meeting targets set out in legislation limiting the emissions of certain pollutants, in particular nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). The project is developing certification and monitoring procedures, designed to get the full picture of a vessel’s emissions. “You can do a test where the engine is produced, but does this test give you the same results as when a vessel is sailing on a particular stretch of water? Here, we are also developing the concept of on-board monitoring. What does the vessel really pollute, when it is sailing on a river?” outlines Gebraad. Until now, a lot of tests have been done in the factory, but the recent scandal where a car manufacturer circumvented emissions tests underlined the need for a highly rigorous, reliable approach. “After the recent scandals around road transport, emissions requirements are likely to grow more stringent, particularly because IWT vessels often sail through densely populated areas,” says Gebraad.

There is potentially also an economic incentive for operators to reduce the environmental impact of their vessels. Some ports may decide to reduce tariffs to more environmentally-friendly vessels, in which case operators need to demonstrate that their vessel meets those requirements. “This doesn’t mean the measurement will take place in the port, but rather on-board the vessel, to prove that the vessel meets emissions requirements,” explains Gebraad. The needs of industry are a key consideration in this research, and Gebraad is keen to ensure that the project’s work has a wider impact. “The project consortium brings together research institutes and commercial companies, and we also have

an advisory board which convenes twice a year to discuss the progress of the project,” he says. “When the project finishes we want to ensure that the results are taken up by the market, so we have involved the market from the beginning. What are their requirements?”

A workpackage within the project is dedicated to deploying these technologies in real-life scenarios, giving potential users the opportunity to provide feedback and identify potential improvements. From these foundations, researchers can then look towards rolling these technologies out on a wider basis. “What is needed to support mass implementation? What does it cost, what is required?” asks Gebraad. The wider legislative environment is of course an important consideration, and Gebraad believes that close cooperation between the relevant stakeholders is essential to promote the ‘greening’ of IWT. “The recent NRMM directive (non-road mobile machinery) laid down new emission requirements, which influences our research agenda,” he says. “Cooperation between the legislative field, industrial end-users and manufacturers, and other potential stakeholders is required.”

Within the Prominent project, we will standardise greening technologies which have the potential to be taken up by the IWT market, or have already been partially taken up

Alternative transport

The wider goal in this research is to demonstrate to industry that IWT represents an efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to road transport. Many inland navigation vessels are capable of carrying thousands of tonnes of cargo, far more than a typical truck, and the interconnected nature of Europe’s inland waterway network means it’s possible to directly reach a wider range of destinations than might have been thought. “Nowadays you can even load a vessel in Rotterdam and deliver cargo to Constanta in Romania, the gateway to the Black Sea,” outlines Gebraad. Nine core transport corridors have been identified across Europe, and research continues into utilising them more effectively. “The European Commission is funding continued research to support the integration of IWT into the transport chain,” continues Gebraad.

Signing of the Green Deal agreement, by the Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Environment, on the 12th September 2016.

Full Project Title

Promoting Innovation in the Inland Waterways Transport Sector (PROMINENT)

Project Objectives

PROMINENT will address the key needs for technological development, as well as the barriers to innovation and greening in the European inland navigation sector. PROMINENT thereby is fully in line with the objectives of the European action programme NAIADES-II. PROMINENT is ultimately aimed at providing solutions which make inland navigation as competitive as road transport in terms of air pollutant emissions by 2020 and beyond. In parallel PROMINENT aims to further decrease the energy consumption and carbon footprint of IWT, an area where IWT has already a strong advantage compared to road transport.

Project Funding

Funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 633929.

Project Partners

• Please see website for full details.

Contact Details

Jaap Gebraad Project Coordinator PROMINENT Stichting STC-Group T: +31 104 486 018 E: prominent@stc-r.nl W: www.prominent-iwt.eu

Jaap Gebraad

Jaap Gebraad is board secretary and senior project manager at the Stichting STC-Group. Since 2008, he has coordinated numerous European funded projects regarding harmonisation and modernisation of professional qualifications in inland navigation. He plays a central role in encouraging cooperation between industry, educational institutes and competent authorities on a European level.