Smart infrastructure set up in the DRYPORT project is ensuring efficient, sustainable freight transport in the North Sea Region. Two goods-forwarding ‘dryports’ inland of seaports in Sweden and the Netherlands have moved cargo off congested roads and onto rail and waterways. Partners from these countries and from Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom, have developed technology to share data for efficient customs and goods handling.
- 10 April 2021
The principles behind the dryport concept are clear enough to be reproduced and implemented. Transport is steadily growing and is in urgent need of green input. Dryports are a good example of win-win; the port community one-window system yet another.
For low-impact distribution, DRYPORT has established rail shuttles between major seaports, the dryports and regional and major cross-border centres.
Environmental and social gains include over 12 000 tonnes of CO2 savings each year and hundreds of new jobs. Research for sustainable transport via ports will continue through university partnerships and a new international association for smart port systems, IPSCA.
Smart shift from roads
Currently, thousands of containers from Europe’s seaports pass through densely populated areas by road, causing pollution and traffic congestion.
DRYPORT provided a more sustainable solution. Freight travels to and from the dryports – inland goods hubs – by rail or waterway. Facilities such as warehousing or customs processing can also be made available.
Two dryports were designed and built in the project. The first was in Falköping, Sweden. Another was set up in the Emmen/Coevorden region in the Netherlands. Both were connected via rail to their regions and other EU countries. The rail terminal in Sweden was built from scratch.
The project developed a digital ‘port community’. This platform processes customs, routing and other information through a ‘single window’, giving each user access to the information necessary for their operations. This system was installed at the Belgian seaport of Zeebrugge, where it helped to ensure timely post-Brexit cargo processing.
Environmental, social and economic gains
A carbon calculator developed in the project showed that the shift to rail saved thousands of tonnes of CO2 each year. Freight rail transport was shown to be economically attractive over short and medium distances, in contrast to previous assumptions that it would only be viable over 300 km.
As the last mile transport is still done by road, 32 m-long electric trucks are being piloted at the Falköping dryport, underlining how the project cuts more emissions year on year.
Hundreds of jobs were created at both dryports – 200 at Falköping – and in secondary industries and businesses. Working conditions for truck drivers improved as they were no longer stuck on congested roads.
Beneficiaries
‘This dryport means very much for Jula Logistics. Our investment in sustainable transport solutions has grown substantially over time. We have worked with Falköpings Kommun to turn Skaraborg Logistic Centre into a strong rail hub that contributes to greener transport.’
Lennart Karlsson, CEO of Jula Logistics ABCEO
‘Euroterminal is a real dryport with direct connections to the Dutch and German rail networks and to Italy. An expansion to Scandinavia is being investigated. It’s a cross-border terminal that never says 'no'!’
Jos Veldhuis – Terminal Manager, Euroterminal Emmen-Coevorden-Hardenberg B.V.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “DRYPORT” is EUR 5 533 490, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 2 766 745 through the “Interreg North Sea Region” Cooperation Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Improving accessibility in the North Sea region”.