(With video and extra pictures) Within the project Watertruck a number of companies in the Dutch province Noord-Brabant have started to transport part of their cargo by small inland waterways.
Traffic congestion is the main reason for the Dutch province to invest in waterways, provincial roads and cycle paths. One of the solutions to cargo transport by road is Watertruck.
Watertruck Project
The concept of Watertruck, a European Interreg IVB NWE project is simple: by working with small barges and pushers, sailing is disconnected from loading and unloading. This allows the skipper to return home every day. Watertruck is ideal for small waterways. Small barges can be linked in convoys on the larger waterways so that the entire transport becomes cheaper.
Through Watertruck, each vessel can transport 900 instead of 400 tonnes.
Noord-Brabant Sees Potential
Right now the province Noord-Brabant is adjusting the Zuid-Willemsvaart and the Wilhelmina and Beatrix Canal to make them suitable for push barge combinations of up to 110 m. This allows for a sailing route from Den Bosch/Veghel up to Helmond and Eindhoven.
In June, the companies Mebin (Eindhoven), Baetsen (Son) and Van Nieuwpoort Groep (Gouda) have transported part of their cargo (sand and gravel) by small inland waterways. Other trials were performed with sludge, scrap, (household) waste and salt.
Shortage of Barges
The biggest problem now is a shortage of barges. The initiators hope industry and government will soon address this problem so that the principle of Watertruck can be applied on a wider scale in different European countries.
Below an album with extra pictures (please click the pop-out link (the little squares at the bottom right) to view them in their proper dimensions) and a video of the Watertruck pilot in Noord-Brabant.
