Nuremberg, 21.03.2024 – 3.98 million tonnes of cargo and freight were moved by inland waterway and rail at bayernhafen Nürnberg and bayernhafen Roth in 2023, amounting to 92% of the total tonnage moved in 2022. Around 230,000 road trips were saved by shifting long-distance traffic to the more environmentally friendly transport modes of inland waterway and rail. In 2023, bayernhafen moved 8.23 million tonnes of cargo and freight by barge and train at its six ports in Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau. As developments within the ports typically echo trends observed in the broader business landscape and the economy at large, the freight handling figures are also a reflection of the current situation.

Rail freight transport in 2023 totalled 3.748 million tonnes, a decrease of 6.8% on 2022. Combined transport throughput at bayernhafen Nürnberg totalled 318,471 TEU (1 TEU = one twenty-foot standard container), down 10.7% on the previous year. ​In addition to containers for seaport-hinterland traffic – primarily with Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam and Verona Freight Village – continental cargo and freight transport includes swap bodies and semi-trailers. 230,037 tonnes of goods were moved by inland waterway, 19% down on 2022. The inland waterway and rail networks facilitate the efficient transportation of all manner of goods, including agricultural produce, construction materials, metals, foodstuffs, fuels, recycling materials, minerals, and industrial products such as plant machinery, automotive components, as well as heavy-lift components such as prefabricated garages.

In heavy-lift cargo handling, a significant volume of heavy-lift and over-sized bulky goods were shifted away from the road networks and on to the waterways. Such freight is ideally suited for transportation via barge, alleviating pressure on road networks and mitigating potential bridge damage. At bayernhafen Nuremberg and bayernhafen Roth, around 125 components were moved, totalling almost 14,000 tonnes (4% up on 2022). bayernhafen Roth is a main transhipment point for boiler systems, while Nuremberg mainly handles transformers and refrigeration units. “For the local companies operating in the large transformer and heavy machinery construction sector, this infrastructure is crucial not only for their initial decision to locate here, but also for their continued presence,” says Ingmar Schellhas, who has co-led Hafen Nürnberg-Roth GmbH (the operator of bayernhafen Nürnberg and Roth) with Joachim Zimmermann since November 2023. “We maintain ongoing dialogue with the more than 200 companies based here to address important future topics, including modern port infrastructure, efficient space utilisation, digital transformation, sustainability and emerging business models,” says Schellhas.

The repercussions of the war in Ukraine, the shift towards clean and renewable energy sources, and the palpably felt economic downturn are unmistakably mirrored in the port’s freight handling statistics. “A port serves as a seismographic indicator of developments in the economy,” says the Chief Executive Officer of bayernhafen, Joachim Zimmermann. “However, as the focus sharpens on environmental protection and the shift to sustainable transport, the port’s role as a central hub gains increasing significance. Inland ports are poised to play a pivotal role in facilitating a successful transition to clean energy sources, fostering a more robust circular economy, and promoting sustainability in heavy-lift transport. The essential prerequisite for this evolution remains a high-performance infrastructure, ensuring the seamless integration of inland waterway, rail and road transport within the logistics chain.”

In 2023, bayernhafen sustained its commitment to substantial investment, allocating approximately €27 million to the redevelopment of its commercial sites and port infrastructure, with over €4 million being invested in its Nuremberg location. “Through long-term investment in our trimodal port infrastructure, we are making a valuable contribution to the future of sustainable transport. Notably, the companies operating from bayernhafen’s ports are leveraging this phase, augmenting their investments in existing corporate locations and establishing new service links. Nevertheless, it remains evident that a pivotal factor in achieving the envisioned modal shift in the future lies in addressing the substantial need for infrastructure modernisation in Germany, encompassing the rail network, locks, and bridges. We need stable conditions, significantly accelerated approval processes and robust protection for the port infrastructure to facilitate this transformative progression,” says Joachim Zimmermann.

Outlook for 2024

The redevelopment of the quays at bayernhafen Nürnberg is taking shape, with the first construction phase nearing completion. The modernisation of bayernhafen’s ageing infrastructure will result in significant optimisation of cargo and freight-handling facilities for the companies operating from the Nuremberg location. In addition, flexible mobile handling equipment will ensure our quay facilities are fit to meet the demands of cargo and freight handling in the future. The aim is to put the right quay facilities in place to fulfil all environmental protection regulations. Quay 1, located to the north, will be redeveloped in the second construction phase. Divided into three construction phases, the dismantling and drainage work will also commence in the first phase. The work is scheduled to be completed during the course of the year. bayernhafen plans to follow this up with the redevelopment of Quay 3 and 8.

The recycling company and processing centre ‘Die grünen Engel’ (‘The Green Angel’), based at bayernhafen Nuremberg, stands for the energy-efficient recovery of high-grade secondary raw materials from construction, commercial and industrial waste. Durmin has been operating from the port since 1996 and is on a steady course to growth. The signing of the lease for a 3-hectare site at Quay 1 will increase its portfolio to a total area of around 16 hectares. Durmin intends to make a double-digit million-euro investment at the new site in various processing plants for mineral and non-mineral waste and products. Waste transport will occur, among other means, via waterways by inland waterway vessels, as the site at quay 1 and the recycling material are well-suited for this purpose.

The Rhenus Group is expanding its capacities at Quay 2 located to the north through the construction of a new logistics facility that will provide state-of-the-art storage, freight handling areas and office space. Of the total 40,000 m² of existing space at Kai 2 in Nuremberg, 17,000 m² will be completely newly built. The new facilities are scheduled to enter into operations at the end of Q2 2024. This is a prime example of commercial development of existing space through strategic site conversion.

The redevelopment and expansion of the CT terminal at bayernhafen Nürnberg is also currently in progress. As previously reported, the development work being carried out on Module 1 will not involve any interruptions to normal terminal operations. The construction work for the HGV access and loading lanes and the parking lanes for loading units will be completed by the end of 2024. The new cranes are expected to be delivered and be up and running by the end of 2026. The investment means that the CT terminal, which has now reached the limit of its capacity since entering into service in 2006, will gain a 21% boost in crane capacity to handle a total of 400,000 TEU.

Regensburg, 21 February 2024 – In the past year, bayernhafen moved 8.23 million tonnes of cargo and freight by inland waterway and rail at its six locations of Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau. This amounted to 92% of the total tonnage moved in 2022. As developments within the ports typically echo trends observed in the broader business landscape and the economy at large, the freight handling figures are also a reflection of the current situation. Around 476,000 road trips were saved by shifting long-distance traffic to the more environmentally friendly transport modes of rail and inland waterway.

In 2023, the volume of goods transported by rail reached 6.025 million tonnes, marking an 8.1% increase compared to the preceding year. 2.21 million tonnes of goods were moved by inland waterway transport, a decrease of 8.8% on 2022. Combined transport throughput across all bayernhafen locations totalled 452,599 TEU (1 TEU = one twenty-foot container), depicting an 11.6% reduction from the previous year. In addition to containers for seaport-hinterland traffic, combined transport includes swap bodies and semi-trailers for continental cargo and freight transport.
Playing a crucial role as logistics hubs, bayernhafen locations, along with the 400-plus companies operating from their ports, guarantee a dependable supply of essential products to both industry and the general public. The transportation of goods, including agricultural produce, construction materials, metals, foodstuffs, recycling materials, minerals, and industrial products like machinery, automotive parts, and heavy-lift components such as transformers, is efficiently facilitated through inland waterway and rail networks.

The repercussions of the war in Ukraine, the shift towards clean and renewable energy sources, and the substantial economic downturn are unmistakably mirrored in the port’s freight handling statistics.
“A port serves as a seismographic indicator of developments in the economy,” says the Chief Executive Officer of bayernhafen, Joachim Zimmermann. “However, as the focus sharpens on environmental protection and the shift to sustainable transport, the port’s role as a central hub gains increasing significance. Inland ports are poised to play a pivotal role in facilitating a successful transition to clean energy sources, fostering a more robust circular economy, and promoting sustainability in heavy-lift transport. The essential prerequisite for this evolution remains a high-performance infrastructure, ensuring the seamless integration of inland waterway, rail, and road transport within the logistics chain.”

In 2023, bayernhafen sustained its commitment to substantial investment, allocating approximately €27 million to the redevelopment of its commercial sites and port infrastructure.
“Through long-term investment in our trimodal port infrastructure, we are making a valuable contribution to the future of sustainable transport. Notably, the companies operating from bayernhafen’s ports are leveraging this phase, augmenting their investments in existing corporate locations and establishing new service links. Nevertheless, it remains evident that a pivotal factor in achieving the envisioned modal shift in the future lies in addressing the substantial need for infrastructure modernisation in Germany, encompassing the rail network, locks, and bridges. We need stable conditions, significantly accelerated approval processes and robust protection for the port infrastructure to facilitate this transformative progression,” says Joachim Zimmermann.

Outlook for 2024
In April 2024, bayernhafen is set to launch a new daily rail service from its Regensburg location to Lébény in Hungary. This innovative service will employ the horizontal loading technology developed and patented by Helrom GmbH, allowing the efficient loading of semi-trailers onto trains without the requirement for cranes or reach stackers. In pursuit of this modal shift, bayernhafen is directing investments towards the modification of its Trailerport, a dedicated terminal designed for the handling of swap bodies and semi-trailers.

Following the lease agreement for a site at Quay 1 in bayernhafen Nürnberg, the recycling company, Durmin, is actively investing in a diverse array of facilities geared towards the processing of both mineral and non-mineral waste and products.

The bayernhafen Regensburg-based logistics services provider, Horst Pöppel Spedition, is building a new multi-user logistics facility. The facility, which has been ‘Gold’ certified by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), is scheduled to be completed in the 3^rd quarter of 2024.

bayernhafen and the companies operating from its ports extend a warm invitation to all citizens of Regensburg to a grand port festival scheduled to take place on 15 September 2024. The festival aims to offer visitors an engaging and insightful experience into the diverse and thrilling world of logistics.​

Passau, 07 February 2024. More and more households as well as large-scale consumers and commercial enterprises are turning to wood pellets as a renewable energy source for their heating needs. Bavarian energy provider MaierKorduletsch is responding to the increased demand by expanding its existing pellet storage facility at bayernhafen Passau.

The company has been operating its wood pellet storage facility, consisting of three silo towers and a loading yard equipped with a vehicle weighing system, at bayernhafen Passau since 2020. The MaierKorduletsch Group is now investing around €1.2 million to add three more 30-metre high silo towers to the facility, doubling its storage capacity to around 8,000 tonnes. Construction began in January, with the silo foundations and bulk pit to be completed before the individual silo towers are erected. The new silos are scheduled to enter into operation in mid-2024.

Branch Manager Carsten Conrad is delighted with the project: “This investment will strengthen bayernhafen Passau’s position as a hub for sustainable energy. We very much appreciate the trust that MaierKorduletsch has placed in us and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the future.”

Produced from sawdust and wood shavings as a by-product of the sawmill industry, wood pellets are a regionally available and sustainable energy source. The pellet storage facility will enable the MaierKorduletsch Group to stabilise fluctuations in supply and demand. This is particularly important as the amount of sawdust available varies according to order books in the wood processing industry. Investing in additional storage capacity will therefore help to ensure that the availability of wood pellets in the region remains stable.

Lorenz Maier, Managing Director of the MaierKorduletsch Group, highlights the benefits of Passau as a business location: “Storage is playing an increasingly important role in the energy supply sector: the expansion of the storage facility is also an investment in ensuring the consistent availability of energy sources. Thanks to its trimodal connections, Passau is optimally prepared for all situations. We look forward to continuing and further developing our excellent partnership with bayernhafen.”

From left to right: Alexander Knaus, General Sales Manager of the MaierKorduletsch Group, Carsten Conrad, Branch Manager of bayernhafen Passau, and Lorenz Maier, Managing Director of the MaierKorduletsch Group, are pleased with the investment in additional storage capacity, which will provide an additional boost to the reliable supply of energy sources in the region. Source: bayernhafen Passau / M. Ziegler

Logistics service provider Horst Pöppel Spedition is building a new multi-user logistics facility at bayernhafen Regensburg. A key focus of the construction project will be sustainability, with the logistics facility achieving ‘Gold’ certification status from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). The first phase will see the construction of a 15,000 square metre facility with offices and communal areas.

The facility will offer industrial and commercial customers a wide range of tailored logistics solutions, including high-bay and block storage. In terms of sustainability, highlights include an environmentally friendly thermal pump heating system and photovoltaic panels covering the entire roof surface to meet 100% of the electricity requirements. Pöppel also plans to install ‘green walls’ to help improve air quality and promote biodiversity.

“We have been actively pursuing quality for more than 50 years. Innovation and modernity will lead us into a secure future,” says Herbert Rückerl, General Manager of Horst Pöppel Spedition GmbH & Co. KG, “Our new building project sends a clear message about the future direction and development of our company in these difficult economic times. Ultimately, we want to create forward-looking prospects for our current and potential employees in a state-of-the-art workplace”.

The logistics facility will be built on an approximately 24,000 square metre site on Budapester Straße in Westhafen. The new building will increase the covered storage area managed by Pöppel at bayernhafen Regensburg to around 50,000 square metres. The logistics service provider, which is active throughout Europe and supplies the most important logistics centres of the food retail sector throughout Germany, recently opened a new multi-user warehouse in Äußere Wiener Straße. This new investment underlines the key role played by bayernhafen Regensburg and its infrastructure.

Project details:
• 1^st construction phase: 15,000 square metres of usable floor area
• Start of construction 12/2023
• Completion scheduled for 10/2024
• 2^nd construction phase planned for 2026/2027

Source: Horst Pöppel Spedition

17 October 2023 – bayernhafen brings together a highly diverse range of goods and delivers the right infrastructure to meet the challenge of shifting long-distance traffic from the road networks to the two environmentally friendly transport modes of inland waterway and rail. In the future, this will also involve the use of Helrom’s patented trailer wagon technology, which enables easy horizontal loading of semi-trailers onto rail without the need for special crane technology. The new CT service for industrial companies from Bavaria is scheduled to go into operation in April 2024. bayernhafen Regensburg’s terminal, the Trailerport, will serve as the hub for the new service.

In April 2024, Helrom GmbH will start operating a daily rail service from bayernhafen Regensburg to Lébény in Hungary to transport production components on behalf of an industrial company based in Bavaria. The new link will use the horizontal loading technology developed and patented by Helrom, which involves uncoupling the trailer from the truck and using an electric powered traction unit to slide it onto the transport bed, which is opened out at the side. Shifting semi-trailers from road to rail will save approximately 11,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually and reduce the number of road journeys by around 17,000 a year, taking the strain off the motorways and service stations located between Regensburg and Hungary.

To enable this modal shift, bayernhafen is investing in the modification of its Trailerport, a terminal dedicated to handling swap bodies and semi-trailers that bayernhafen operates at its port in Regensburg. Over the coming months, parts of the terminal site and the entrance gate will be upgraded and recharging infrastructure for electric tractor units will be installed.

“What is really interesting about this system is that it allows non-craneable semi-trailers to be loaded onto rail without the need for the construction of expensive, complex infrastructure,” says Christian Bernreiter, Bavarian Minister of State for Housing, Construction and Transport. “I am really curious to see how the system proves its worth in practice. It certainly has the potential to make a significant contribution to the growth of combined transport, which is something I very much welcome. I am particularly gratified to see that this innovation is being developed in cooperation with bayernhafen, a company owned by the State of Bavaria.”

“bayernhafen expressed interest in our technology at an early stage – and once things became more concrete, they they took an open and expert approach to the search for the right solutions,” stress Helrom’s Chief Executive Officer, Roman Noack, and Chief Operating Officer, Wolfgang Maier, who also aim to set new benchmarks in reliability and punctuality.

“In combined transport, containers have already proven to be a success model. Now we need solutions for large-volume traffic on continental routes – that means getting trailers and swap bodies onto the rail network,” says bayernhafen’s Chief Executive Officer, Joachim Zimmermann. “We are open to all proposals for solutions. Through the Trailerport, we laid the groundwork for this segment at an early stage. It is, however, also clear that the necessary capacity needs to be made available in the rail network. Bulk goods by barge, trailers by train – that would be best way to share the load, both economically as well as environmentally.”

“The port itself is not very big, but the opportunities Passau offers are tremendous,” said Klaus Jaschke, Deputy Managing Director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, welcoming the 80 or so business leaders attending the Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s “Praxisdialog 2023” forum at bayernhafen in Passau-Schalding. Passau efficiently links inland waterway, rail and road and offers numerous opportunities for shifting freight traffic onto trains and barges. The Lord Mayor of Passau, Jürgen Dupper, appealed to the business leaders to take full advantage of this highly promising, intelligent and efficient opportunity. “There is a need in the economy currently for a great deal of flair and instinct, and we need commercial traders, service providers and industrial companies to secure the future viability of our city. bayernhafen is a calling card for Passau and we also offer the ideal conditions for protecting the climate,” said Dupper.

This was confirmed by representatives from two Passau-based companies, Christian Köppl from Hornbach and Helmut Gaspar from Berger Beton, as well as Johann Brunhuber from Rolls-Royce Solutions in Ruhstorf. “You have to have the confidence to set your sights on new solutions. Distributing freight loads here at bayernhafen Passau offers advantages that cannot be matched by other transport modes,” said Gaspar. Even if risks such as low water levels or disruptions to lock operations cannot be entirely ruled out, road transport is also not without its problems, such as traffic congestion, road works, shortage of HGV drivers or the Sunday driving ban. This is why the shift to ship and rail is a workable solution that meets the different needs of logistics service providers.

The freight forwarder Jürgen Pfeil, who has long advocated the expansion of the port of Passau for the same reasons, highlighted the numerous advantages of switching to ship and rail, such as higher loading capacity, greater energy efficiency and reduced regulatory requirements. This was also confirmed by the guest speaker Ulf Meinel from viadonau, the Austrian inland waterway operator, who gave numerous examples from daily operations of the many efficient ways in which the Danube can be used.

Christian Süß from TFG Transfracht, a maritime and port-neutral operator that organises global combined transport supply chains, was also enthusiastic about the opportunities offered by Passau. When it comes to “green logistics”, combining transport by rail with inland waterway and road is also an ideal solution, he said. “We deliver flexible and reliable solutions to companies throughout Germany and in the process also drive sustainable protection for the environment,” he confirmed to the Praxisdialog participants.

The real benefits of trimodality could be read in black and white: Berger Beton, Hornbach and ZF Friedrichshafen AG received certificates from TFG Transfracht and DB Cargo for saving up to 800 tonnes of CO₂ in 2022.

During the subsequent tour of the facility, which involved a live demonstration of cargo and freight handling, Klaus Hohberger of the bayernhafen management team demonstrated how efficiently the port interlinks inland waterway, rail and road, particularly thanks to the almost daily train services to the German seaports. Through its lightering services, Passau plays an important role in shipping on the Danube. “As a result of its storage facilities and excellent accessibility for wide-load and high machinery components and the associated handling possibilities, bayernhafen Passau is key to securing the commitment of Bavarian plant and equipment manufacturers to remain in the region,” said Hohberger. Since 2022, bayernhafen Passau has also boasted an enlarged customs station at the quay, which guarantees uncomplicated clearance not only for inland waterway cargo handling, but also for transport by rail and road.

The participants of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s “Praxisdialog 2023” forum were impressed: “It is really inspiring to see the opportunities that are available to us right on our doorstep. The field of logistics is changing rapidly. Trimodality will in future clearly be more than just yet another of many alternatives,” confirmed one entrepreneur.

14 September saw the official inauguration of the new station and boathouse built for the water police unit in Aschaffenburg. The guests invited to the new premises in Hafenrandstraße included State Secretary of the Interior, Sandro Kirchner, representing the Bavarian Minister of the Interior, along with the Bavarian State Minister for Digital Affairs, Judith Gerlach.

bayernhafen constructed the building in line with the requirements of Aschaffenburg’s Water Police Unit and leases the premises to the Lower Franconia Police Force.

Read more in the press release issued by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior, for Sport and Integration from 14.09.2023:

Today, the new station and the new boathouse of the Water Police Unit of the Aschaffenburg-Hösbach Traffic Police Force were ceremonially inaugurated. In his speech to the assembled guests, the Bavarian State Secretary of the Interior Sandro Kirchner, representing the Bavarian Minister of the Interior, said: “This is an important milestone for our water police officers operating on the river Main. Thanks to the excellent location and state-of-the-art fixtures and fittings, the two new buildings offer excellent conditions for our officers to work in. Even on the water, we ensure the highest level of security and safety.”

As Kirchner explained, the new leased police station is situated in the immediate vicinity of the new boathouse and is also located directly on the Main. It is equipped with several offices, a control room, an interview room and a recreational room. The boathouse was built from scratch, is twenty-five metres long and twelve metres wide, and offers enough space for the two police boats, which previously only had an open berth in the port. According to Kirchner, the Free State of Bavaria invested around € 900,000 in the boathouse and its waterfront dock.

The Water Police Unit of the Aschaffenburg-Hösbach Traffic Police Force is responsible for policing 80 kilometres of the river Main from the Bavarian/Hessian border near Kahl to the Faulbach lock, the area in and around the port of Aschaffenburg, the cargo handling facilities and recreational harbours as well as other waters within the catchment of the Bavarian Lower Main.

Würzburg/Bamberg, 30.07.2023 River cruise ships docking at bayernhafen Bamberg’s piers near Regnitzstraße will in future be supplied with electricity from renewable sources delivered via shore power distribution terminals. The shore power distribution terminals in Bamberg were installed by bayernhafen and are operated by Würzburger Hafen GmbH (WHG). By supplying shore power, it will be possible to significantly reduce emissions that would otherwise impact on both the immediate vicinity of the port and the city of Bamberg at large.