Fleet of ports benefit from Connecting Europe Facility

An EU funding initiative is about to be launched at around twenty ports. The Connecting Europe Facility Transport programme (CET) will help with improvements at coastal and inland facilities on seas and rivers all over Europe.

More than €1.8 billion in grants has been awarded through the CEF scheme already. Projects have been assessed that develop and modernise basic port infrastructure, strengthen the connections to maritime ports and ensure year-round navigability. The latest tranche of grants will help fund further projects in countries from Finland to Spain.

Depending on good maritime transport

More than 100 projects were given the green light in this round of funding. The largest awards were for rail-based projects, supporting the pan-European “TEN-T” network ambitions. However, maritime ports benefit significantly too.

As reported recently in WCN, Dublin Port in Ireland has been awarded over €70m for extensive projects. Elsewhere, including Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Malta, Lithuania, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, and Poland projects were identified.

“Almost 90 per cent of the EU’s external freight trade is seaborne,” says a statement from the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU. “Short sea shipping represents one-third of intra-EU exchanges in terms of tonne-kilometres.”

Several projects are aimed specifically at shore-based power supply for cruise ships. The initiative recognises the environmental impact of generating electricity from marine sources, often in inner-city locations, where cruise ship terminals are centrally located. However, cargo operations certainly benefit too.

Coastal and inland waterways benefit

Malta’s Limassol port will receive funding of more than €1m for onshore power supply infrastructure for cargo purposes. Gijón in Spain will benefit from a €2.6m grant for power supply for container and cruise ships. Santander will get €3.5m to upgrade ro-ro handling. Valencia will benefit from around €40m in funding for a variety of identified projects.

Inland waterway traffic (pictured) plays a vital role in commerce in the EU, and the CET funding programme includes several initiatives aimed at improving links. Approved is a grant of nearly €8m for the construction of a ‘High and Heavy’ terminal at a new port peninsula at Straubing-Sand on the Danube in Germany. Over €18m will go to fund a new breakwater at Pula in Croatia. There’s also a €9m project agreed to construct new railway tracks within the port of Burgas in Bulgaria.

Key challenges and innovative solutions

Already benefitting from the funding package are places like the port of Rijeka in Croatia. The terminal there has benefitted from several CEF transport-funded projects to improve infrastructure and help develop an integrated road, rail and maritime freight terminal. Specific works included reconstructing the quay in the Raša basin, upgrading the port infrastructure, and developing the rail connections to the Zagreb terminal, as well as upgrading the railway connection between Rijeka and the nearby Adriatic Gate Container Terminal, as seen below.

“The Connecting Europe Facility for Transport’s focus is on fostering a transport network that is efficient, safe, interconnected and green,” says a project statement. “By addressing key challenges and supporting innovative solutions, it aims to meet the evolving needs and expectations for a modern and sustainable transport infrastructure in Europe.”

The overarching TEN-T project, which initially included projects in the UK (prior to Brexit) is a long-standing ambition to harmonise transport across Europe, primarily rail systems for freight, but also including several short sea routes.