Innovative Transport Equipment for Coal, Coke and Ore

Project Information

ITECCO

Grant agreement ID: 662499

DOI

10.3030/662499

Project closed

EC signature date 23 January 2015

Start date 1 February 2015

End date 31 July 2015

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Smart, Green And Integrated Transport

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

INNOFREIGHT Speditions GmbH
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ITECCO (Innovative Transport Equipment for Coal, Coke and Ore)

Reporting period: 2015-02-01 to 2015-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The raw material supply of the steel industry is currently carried out with outdated special wagons overaged, inflexible and in desperate need of modernization and cost-efficient replacements. To tackle these problems, Innofreight has developed a new ultra-light, multipurpose container waggon, the InnoWaggon, special containers optimally designed to address the users’ needs (comprising the new self-unloading RockTainer Ore for iron ore, the MonTainer for coal and slag sand, the already established WoodTainer for coke, limestone and other bulk goods) as well as easy to integrate stationary unloading systems. These elements form Innofreight’s “modular system” providing all features for innovation and adding value to the customers. Advantages of the Innofreight system range from lower tare weight and higher payload to higher utilization rates, faster handling processes and lower costs of operation. Already market leader and technological leader in the supply of the paper industry regarding woodchips, Innofreight strives to achieve the same position in the steel industry.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In phase 1, the technical feasibility as well as the commercial potential of Innofreight’s innovative system has been assessed. Based on a comprehensive market analysis, a calculation model has been developed to assess the company’s growth potential in view of full commercialisation. In line with the assessment of risks and threats as well as requirements concerning financing and organisational development, an elaborated business plan has been worked out targeting to exploit a feasible potential of approx. 10,000 Innofreight containers and 3,000 InnoWaggons in the European iron and steel industry until 2025, leading to a total turnover of approx. 120 mio €.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The overall conclusion of the study is that Innofreight’s innovation concept has the potential to be developed to the level of investment readiness, but requires additional development steps towards commercialisation. Therefore the project shall continue with an application for a phase 2 innovation project targeting full-scale industrial demonstration in order to fully develop our solution from TRL 7 to a market ready system as well as development of the final business and commercialisation plan. As Innofreight integrates relevant key stakeholders in this development process, the innovation optimally meets user needs, aiming at strengthening the competitiveness of the European industry and rail transport sector.

Innofreight's innovative modular rail transport equipment