The Danube port of Krems is feeling the upper water again. At Lower Austria’s largest transhipment point on the waterway, 1.35 million tonnes of goods were transhipped in the previous year. These figures were six percent more than in 2018, according to the operating company Rhenus Donauhafen Krems GmbH & Co. KG (RDK) informed the Lower Austrian Business Press Service about these figures on request.
Broken down by mode of transport, the Port of Krems recorded the biggest increase in rail handling, which rose by 13 percent to 413,000 tons. In 2019, ship transhipment grew by six percent to 368,000 tons, truck transhipment by two percent to 568,000 tons. The number of containers loaded and unloaded in the port of Krems last year rose by twelve percent to 956 units.
“After the low water year 2018, the Danube levels were relatively stable in the previous year, so that larger quantities of agricultural products, fertiliser and steel scrap could again be transported by ship”, reports RDK Managing Director Gerhard Gussmagg. He is hoping for stable fairway conditions again this year. Then a further increase in water-side transhipment would be realistic.
Referring to the public climate discussion, Gerhard Gussmagg emphasizes the ecological advantages of the waterway: “Danube navigation is not only inexpensive, but also very environmentally friendly. As a trimodal location, we can ideally combine it with rail and road”.
Speaking of environmentally friendly: The port of Krems also benefits from the renewable energy source wind power when transporting the large dimensioned components. “A lot should be possible this year. With our good accessibility and motorway connection, our hall storage areas are very well utilised, which is why we are planning to expand capacity,” announces the Managing Director.
The Rhenus Donauhafen Krems GmbH & Co. KG, whose 50 employees are responsible for port logistics and handling, is a subsidiary of the German logistics group Rhenus. The Group also has almost 80 employees in Krems and is active in the forwarding services (Rhenus Logistics Austria) and inland shipping and freighting (Rhenus Danube Shipping) business areas.
