Chemical industry demands massive investments in waterways!

Chemical industry demands massive investments in waterways!

In a recent policy paper, the Chemical Industry Association (VCI) called for a significantly greater focus on the expansion of waterways. This twelve-page letter, which was sent to the members of the Bundestag's Transport Committee, highlights the indispensable role of all modes of transport for chemical and pharmaceutical companies. In particular, the VCI emphasizes that these modes of transport should be promoted equally in order to meet the increasing transport volumes in the industry.

The document predicts that the chemical industry's transport volumes will increase on all transport routes. The VCI therefore demands that investments not only flow into rails and roads, but also into waterways. According to the association representatives, these should be used a third more in order to meet the requirements of the industry.

Continue to promote water tourism and inland waterway transport

However, the coalition agreement pays little attention to the expansion of waterways and is limited to just eight lines. Despite this lack of consideration, the VCI sees enormous opportunities and potential in the use of inland waterway transport. However, the association points out that the reliability of these types of transport often suffers due to low water levels and infrastructure in need of renovation.

As a solution, the VCI is calling for a comprehensive modernization of the West German canal network, in particular the expansion and renovation of the locks. Furthermore, capacities for degassing tankers and modern transshipment points for multimodal transport between water, road and rail should be created. These measures are necessary to increase the efficiency and safety of inland waterway transport.

Financial support and infrastructure investments

In addition, the VCI would like financial support to accelerate investments in low-water inland vessels. Wolfgang Große Entrup, General Manager of the VCI, emphasizes the importance of special funds for additional investments that cannot replace regularly planned budget funds. These funds must be used properly to address the challenges facing the industry.

Another aspect of the discussion about waterways was discussed at a specialist conference organized by the Federal Ministry of Transport, which discussed the expansion of waterways and the future of shipping. These events show that inland shipping has good prospects even without traditional modes of transport such as coal, ore and mineral oil, which should be further promoted in order to increase the industry's competitiveness.

Overall, the expansion of waterways is essential for the VCI in order to meet the requirements of the future and ensure sustainable logistics in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. This is seen as an essential step in setting the course for a future-proof and environmentally friendly transport infrastructure.