This April issue is memorable in several ways. First of all, it is a nice mix of Dutch and English, because when you talk about inland navigation, it is mainly a Dutch matter. The Netherlands has the largest share of the European inland navigation fleet by far.
And if you’re talking about current developments, I think it’s also okay to communicate about them in Dutch. Sorry for our non-Dutch readers, but nowadays everything can be translated very quickly and well using Google or DeepL.com (my preference).
But even our non-Dutch readers, and there are more and more of them in the Dutch maritime manufacturing industry, are presented with three excellent articles in this April issue.
In a third article by our unsurpassed contributor Rui Costa on unmanned systems, he turns the spotlight on Iran’s naval efforts. Long forgotten of course, but just before the rise to power of Islamists led by Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran had ordered a series of eight Kortenaer class frigates from De Schelde shipyard, an order that was cancelled as a result of the Iranian Revolution.
The second article concerns a graduation project by a German student on an alternative, supportive propulsion system for inland navigation to be used in times of very low water levels. Extremely topical, of course, now that the water levels on Germany’s rivers in particular have become very low and inland navigation can transport less than it would like.
Employees of specialist in electrical engineering for the maritime manufacturing industry in particular, Alewijnse, provided the third article in English. In it, they tell you everything you need to know about battery systems before installing them.
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s March 2025 issue: Dredging special and the hybrid fleet
Inland navigation special
But this April issue is first and foremost an inland navigation special with a beautiful photo on the cover of a pusher made by Concordia Damen for sailing the great rivers of Paraguay. Responsible for this special for the last time was our inland waterways specialist and editor Martin van Dijk, who will be stepping down in September after many years of dedication to this magazine.
The subject of many of the articles is the application of HVO. Hydrotreated vegetable oil can help inland navigation on its way to a CO2-free future, but something needs to be done in terms of its availability, regulations and to cover the higher costs of this type fuel. And special thanks also to our journalist contributor Hans Heynen without whom many of the articles could not have been written.
This is editor-in-chief Antoon Oosting’s editorial accompanying the April 2025 issue.
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s February 2025 issue: Golden Triangle returns, education needs to follow suit
SWZ app and archive
Our digital archive is available to subscribers both online and in our new app (available for Android and Iphone) and they can read the digitial version of our April issue there. Not yet a subscriber? Visit our subscription page.
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s January 2025 issue: Tideman special and optimistic 2025
The articles in SWZ|Maritime’s April issue
In addition to the regular sections such as Dutch news, Markets, Global news, book reviews, and Mars Report, the articles in the April issue are:
- HVO lijkt beste alternatief voor binnenvaart
- Productie biologische brandstof groeit flink
- Scyllavloot schakelt stapsgewijs over op HVO
- Unibarge zet grote vergroeningsstappen
- Concordia Damen levert duwboot naar Paraguay
- Modular propulsion for shallow water conditions
- NIM ontwikkelt dual-fuel methanol-retrofitkit
- Veilig en efficiënt afmeren onder alle omstandigheden
- I’ll have a battery system, please!
- The race for the hybrid fleet – Interlude
- CEDA – New Lock Terneuzen promises economic benefits
- CEDA – Towards the future of zero-emission dredging
Picture: Concordia Damen developed the pusher Veronica-V for the rivers of Paraguay, where it will operate with six to eight barges (photo by Concordia Damen Shipbuilding, cover picture of SWZ|Maritime’s April 2025 issue).
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s December 2024 issue: Finland and the quest for clean fuels
