Recently,InnoWaTr partners Logistics Initiative Hamburg and TOP Mehrwert carried out their data collection pilot as part of the Freight Flow Coalition 3 in Hamburg, making use of the expertise and support of the Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics (CML) in Hamburg. The pilot involved an exploratory trip along a defined route, using a research vessel equipped with sensors and measurement devices. This allowed the team to gather reliable real-world information about waterway conditions, essential for evaluating the feasibility and sustainability of the use case.
Source: Logistics Initiative Hamburg
Collecting Data and Insights Along Hamburg’s Waterways
“From Hamburg's Mittelkanal to HafenCity, we collected important data and insights for our application on the Elbe and in the canals during a data measurement trip”, summarized Tony Perkovic (LIHH). The collected data included:
- Position data with timestamps
- Duration of each route segment, including lock passage and waiting times
- Qualitative observations of delays and disruptions
- Speed measurements
- Route length
- Water depth measurements
- Current measurements along the route segments
- Fuel consumption and equivalent energy values per segment
Thanks to the successful cooperation with Fraunhofer CML and the Horizon Europe project DECARBOMILE, we were able to create synergies and link local expertise from two urban inland waterway projects.
Source: Logistics Initiative Hamburg
Investigating urban delivery traffic on water
Both projects are investigating use cases for urban delivery traffic on water, for wholesale and retail (InnoWaTr) and for parcel deliveries (DECARBOMILE). It is essential for both projects to collect reliable data that enables an evaluation of the pilot tests, their actual sustainability effects, and their operational viability. Based on these findings, further possible use cases will also be identified in which transport by waterway may be appropriate.
Source: Logistics Initiative Hamburg
SeaDragon
This is precisely where Fraunhofer CML was able to provide valuable support. Using their SeaDragon research catamaran (also part of European innovation project SeaClear2, the travel routes for both projects between the Bille canals and HafenCity and the city center were thoroughly measured. What are the actual travel times to be expected? What are the lock times? How often is safe operation possible throughout the year? What energy consumption levels are measured? All of this is now being evaluated and calculated based on the measurements taken.
What cannot be calculated, but is definitely unbeatable: the SeaDragon in beautiful winter sunshine in front of the Elbphilharmonie!