There are several different routes for shipping projects from Paris to Bratislava. The most common route is a Péniche transport to Antwerp/Rotterdam, in order to continue the journey as an occasional load at a lower cost.However, the requirement in the HSL Projects Division’s best practice was: no transshipment.
The sensitive cargo was a transformer weighing 130 tons from the French consortium DAHER, which is used near Paris. The reason for the transport was the overhaul of the plant in Croatia’s capital Zagreb in order to continue to ensure a reliable energy supply at the plant. The sustainable and safe logistics solution from the HSL team in Neuchâtel on the Upper Rhine was convincing. Colleagues Marie-Celine Beyer, Anthony Grass and Toni Nicolay were awarded the contract for the transport section on the waterway south of Paris (near Fontainebleau) to Bratislava in Slovakia. The return transport is planned for the end of 2024.
DAHER’s top priority was to ensure that the transformer was not reloaded on the way from the port of loading to the port of discharge. With this requirement, the manufacturer wanted to reduce the risk of damage occurring during handling of the high-value cargo. This is an absolute exception for two reasons. HSL inland navigation specialist, Nicolay explains: “On this route, it would be normal to reload in Antwerp/Rotterdam – firstly because it is more cost-effective to reload as additional cargo, and secondly so that the péniche does not have to travel too far out of its home area.”
Right picture: The 130-ton transformer goes on board the péniche “MS Sequens” in the port of Vernou-la-Celle-sur-Seine Vernou sur Seine (Fontainebleau). Image source: HSL
Spoilt for choice
The skipper of MS “Sequens” had several direct routes from Paris to Bratislava to choose from. The decisive factor was the water level. This made it possible to take the route via the Marne, the Marne Lateral Canal and the Rhine-Marne Canal. Nicolay explains the challenges: “The Péniche had to pass the Arzviller ship lift with an inclined elevator, cross three tunnels of the Rhine-Marne Canal and master a total of 143 locks on the way from the port of loading to the Rhine.”
Delays can occur at any of the critical points. This is why HSL’s planning includes appropriate buffers during execution, which can also tolerate the loading date being postponed twice, as in this case. Nicolay illustrates how well the timeline worked out. “The ship got through the Rhine, Main, MDK and Danube so well that the skipper was able to spend a weekend in Vienna with his wife before the delivery on Monday morning in Bratislava.”
Hand in hand to achieve the goal
Throughout the entire project, the colleagues were in close contact with the partikulier. Together, they calculated the parameters well in advance under which the transport could take place smoothly and in line with the customer’s schedule. It is particularly important for HSL to work together in a spirit of partnership and trust. “This is because it requires a skipper who is willing to leave his usual area of operation, which often requires sensitive persuasion,” explains Nicolay. It is also noticeable that those involved in the transport chain want to strengthen sustainable transport together. This applies to both the French waterway authority (VNF) and the energy producers. Both are interested in securing the waterway infrastructure for supplying the electricity plants.