Rhine-Alpine News
Railways: Water instead of herbicides
Photo (SBB): Test train for vegetation control
Railways use herbicides on a large scale to keep their track free of weeds. In the past years, these chemicals were under attack because they may cause cancer. Therefore, railways are looking for alternatives. Along the Rhine-Alpine corridor, the work of Swiss national railways (SBB) may exemplify this trend: SBB tests equipment that will detect unwanted plants and fight them with hot water instead of chemicals. A detailed report can be found here:
External link (German language)
External link (French language)
External link (Italian language)
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Project H2SHIPS launched for hydrogen bunkering and propulsion for shipping
The project H2SHIPS will demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of hydrogen bunkering and propulsion for shipping and will identify the conditions for successful market entry for the technology. Two pilot projects will be implemented as part of H2SHIPS: A new hydrogen powered port vessel will be built in Amsterdam and in Belgium a H2 refuelling systemsuitable for open sea operation will be developed and tested. A further major output will be an action plan for the implementation of an H2SHIPS pilot on the river Seine in Paris in 2022. H2SHIPS will demonstrate the added-value of H2 for water transport and develop a blueprint for its adoption across North-West Europe, avoiding considerable GHG-emissions. The project is co-financed by the Interreg North-West Europe programme of the European Union. Several institutions from along the Rhine-Alpine corridor take part.
Read more about the project here (external link)
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Antwerp: Shore power for barges
Photo (Port of Antwerp): Inland barges around a terminal
Antwerp Port Authority has installed nine onshore power connection points, so that barges can draw electricity while they are at berth.
