Periodic Reporting for period 3 - NOVIMOVE (Novel inland waterway transport concepts for moving freight effectively)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-06-01 bis 2024-05-31
Inland Waterborne Transport advantages such as low-energy and low CO2 emitting transport are not fully exploited today due to gaps in the logistics system. Inland container vessels pay 6-8 calls at seaport terminals with long waiting times. More time is lost by sub-optimal navigation on rivers and waiting at bridges and locks. In addition, low load factors of containers and vessels impact the logistics systems with unnecessary high numbers of containers being transported and trips being made. The NOVIMOVE strategy to address this is to condense the logistics system by improving container load factors and by reducing waiting times in seaports, by improved river voyage planning and execution, and by facilitating smooth passages through bridges and locks. NOVIMOVE’s innovations are:
1. cargo reconstruction to raise container load factors;
2. mobile terminals feeding inland barges;
3. smart river navigation by merging satellite information with real time river water depths data;
4. smooth passage through bridges/locks by a dynamic scheduling system for better corridor management;
5. concepts for innovative vessels that can adapt to low water conditions while maintaining a full payload, and
6. close cooperation with logistic stakeholders, ports and water authorities along the Rhine-Alpine route: Antwerp, Rotterdam, Duisburg, Basel.
The NOVIMOVE 21-members consortium combines logistics operators, ports, system-developers and research organisations from 4 EU member states and two associate countries. NOVIMOVE technology developments have been demonstrated by virtual simulation, scaled model tests, as well as in full-scale. The innovations are estimated to impact the quantity of freight moved by Inland Waterborne Transport along the Rhine-Alpine corridor in different orders of magnitude depending on the scenario considered with respect to 2010 baseline data. The steps necessary for further development and market uptake have been identified. The project duration was 4 years, with a requested budget of EUR 8,9 million.
1. cargo reconstruction to raise container load factors;
2. mobile terminals feeding inland barges;
3. smart river navigation by merging satellite information with real time river water depths data;
4. smooth passage through bridges/locks by a dynamic scheduling system for better corridor management;
5. concepts for innovative vessels that can adapt to low water conditions while maintaining a full payload, and
6. close cooperation with logistic stakeholders, ports and water authorities along the Rhine-Alpine route: Antwerp, Rotterdam, Duisburg, Basel.
The NOVIMOVE 21-members consortium combines logistics operators, ports, system-developers and research organisations from 4 EU member states and two associate countries. NOVIMOVE technology developments have been demonstrated by virtual simulation, scaled model tests, as well as in full-scale. The innovations are estimated to impact the quantity of freight moved by Inland Waterborne Transport along the Rhine-Alpine corridor in different orders of magnitude depending on the scenario considered with respect to 2010 baseline data. The steps necessary for further development and market uptake have been identified. The project duration was 4 years, with a requested budget of EUR 8,9 million.
In 2020 the NOVIMOVE project kicked off, aiming at enhancing freight throughput performance of inland waterway transport by investigating and developing new logistical concepts based on innovative vessel concepts and operations.
Throughout the project, the consortium has shown great commitment to the NOVIMOVE ambitions and has successfully completed the NOVIMOVE final assessment quality evaluations. NOVIMOVE has been working on realizing the following innovations:
• Logistics: The assessment of future scenarios and impact on logistics of all NOVIMOVE innovations has been realized using the NOVIMOVE transport model, and a serious game, using insights from the transport model, has been tested with stakeholders. The NOVIMOVE transport model is unique in its capability of interfacing with and bringing together evaluation of the logistical, technological and ship domain innovations.
• Technology: The smart river navigation system and dynamic lock scheduling systems have been demonstrated. The navigation system benefits from a much higher level of information availability (more frequent, richer) than which has been used so far. The detailed design of the underlying system is new, and the real-life demonstration provides insights beyond what has been known so far.
• Innovative ship concepts: The economic and environmental performance of the NOVIMOVE concepts has been evaluated. Lab experiments have provided quantitative insight in the potential of concepts. Moreover, operational aspects necessary to be considered in view of implementation in practice have been identified.
In the last phase of NOVIMOVE the potential performance of combinations of innovations has been determined for the Rhine-Alpine coordinator. NOVIMOVE has been reaching out to stakeholders relevant for the research and the market uptake. The final plan for exploitation and dissemination of results, including MARCOMM plan have been prepared, and the highlights of the project were brought together at the NOVIMOVE final closing event.
To enable stakeholders to take the next steps in advancing the NOVIMOVE innovations towards implementation also now that NOVIMOVE has ended, an Innovation Support Manager has been appointed at TU Delft.
Throughout the project, the consortium has shown great commitment to the NOVIMOVE ambitions and has successfully completed the NOVIMOVE final assessment quality evaluations. NOVIMOVE has been working on realizing the following innovations:
• Logistics: The assessment of future scenarios and impact on logistics of all NOVIMOVE innovations has been realized using the NOVIMOVE transport model, and a serious game, using insights from the transport model, has been tested with stakeholders. The NOVIMOVE transport model is unique in its capability of interfacing with and bringing together evaluation of the logistical, technological and ship domain innovations.
• Technology: The smart river navigation system and dynamic lock scheduling systems have been demonstrated. The navigation system benefits from a much higher level of information availability (more frequent, richer) than which has been used so far. The detailed design of the underlying system is new, and the real-life demonstration provides insights beyond what has been known so far.
• Innovative ship concepts: The economic and environmental performance of the NOVIMOVE concepts has been evaluated. Lab experiments have provided quantitative insight in the potential of concepts. Moreover, operational aspects necessary to be considered in view of implementation in practice have been identified.
In the last phase of NOVIMOVE the potential performance of combinations of innovations has been determined for the Rhine-Alpine coordinator. NOVIMOVE has been reaching out to stakeholders relevant for the research and the market uptake. The final plan for exploitation and dissemination of results, including MARCOMM plan have been prepared, and the highlights of the project were brought together at the NOVIMOVE final closing event.
To enable stakeholders to take the next steps in advancing the NOVIMOVE innovations towards implementation also now that NOVIMOVE has ended, an Innovation Support Manager has been appointed at TU Delft.
NOVIMOVE is with the developments of its innovations moving beyond the state of the art in the logistics, technology, and ship design domain, with the societal aim of improving freight throughput performance of inland waterway transport.
In the logistics domain the NOVIMOVE transport model developed is unique in its capability of interfacing with and bringing together evaluation of the logistical, technological and ship domain innovations. The integrated analysis of the innovations that has been carried out with the model is advancing the state of the art in transport system performance analysis. Moreover, the serious game that has been developed provides new opportunities for education to students and industrial representatives. On the logistics side also, the cargo reconstruction concept encompasses new ways of utilizing container capacity.
Considering the technological aspects, the smart river navigation system advances the state of the art by benefitting from a much higher level of information availability (more frequent, richer) than has been used so far. The detailed design of the underlying system is new, and the real-life demonstration provides insights beyond what has been known so far. The work on the dynamic lock scheduling system has also led to innovative ideas on the scientifically fundamental level.
On the ship design side itself, progress beyond the state of the art has been made by considering a range of ship designs that take as a starting point the expectation that river conditions will in the future vary much more than in the past, in particular when it comes to water depths. The new ship designs that have been investigated will to some extend be able to adapt such changes in a flexible way. Lab experimental results have been obtained to gain insight in the potential of considered concepts. Besides this, operational aspects necessary to be considered in view of implementation in practice have been identified.
In the last phase of NOVIMOVE the potential performance of combinations of its innovations has been determined studying the Rhine-Alpine coordinator to identify also the potential wider societal implications in a quantitative way. NOVIMOVE has been reaching out to stakeholders relevant for the research and the subsequent market uptake. Outreach and dissemination of the NOVIMOVE efforts materialized via various demonstration and the further consultation with the stakeholders for opportunities and steps towards market uptake.
In the logistics domain the NOVIMOVE transport model developed is unique in its capability of interfacing with and bringing together evaluation of the logistical, technological and ship domain innovations. The integrated analysis of the innovations that has been carried out with the model is advancing the state of the art in transport system performance analysis. Moreover, the serious game that has been developed provides new opportunities for education to students and industrial representatives. On the logistics side also, the cargo reconstruction concept encompasses new ways of utilizing container capacity.
Considering the technological aspects, the smart river navigation system advances the state of the art by benefitting from a much higher level of information availability (more frequent, richer) than has been used so far. The detailed design of the underlying system is new, and the real-life demonstration provides insights beyond what has been known so far. The work on the dynamic lock scheduling system has also led to innovative ideas on the scientifically fundamental level.
On the ship design side itself, progress beyond the state of the art has been made by considering a range of ship designs that take as a starting point the expectation that river conditions will in the future vary much more than in the past, in particular when it comes to water depths. The new ship designs that have been investigated will to some extend be able to adapt such changes in a flexible way. Lab experimental results have been obtained to gain insight in the potential of considered concepts. Besides this, operational aspects necessary to be considered in view of implementation in practice have been identified.
In the last phase of NOVIMOVE the potential performance of combinations of its innovations has been determined studying the Rhine-Alpine coordinator to identify also the potential wider societal implications in a quantitative way. NOVIMOVE has been reaching out to stakeholders relevant for the research and the subsequent market uptake. Outreach and dissemination of the NOVIMOVE efforts materialized via various demonstration and the further consultation with the stakeholders for opportunities and steps towards market uptake.