Port Highlight: the Port of Vienna

Good news about our ports

25 April 2023

For each EFIP meeting, a 'Port Highlight' is published, which is an interview with the host port of the following internal meeting. With this  section on our website,  we are helping you to discover Europe’s inland ports and understand their differences. 

On 27-28 April 2023, EFIP's members will gather in Vienna (Austria) for their General Assembly meeting. The Port of Vienna is the largest Danube port in Eastern Austria with trimodal water, road and rail handling facilities and covers an area of 3 million square metres. Let's have a closer look!

(C) Fritz Lehr

1. Can you give us a short introduction of the port of Vienna?

The Port of Vienna is the largest Danube port in Eastern Austria with trimodal handling facilities by water, road and rail and has an area of 3 million square metres. The Port of Vienna operates three large cargo terminals including the corresponding infrastructure: Freudenau harbour, Albern harbour and Lobau oil terminal.

2. How does the Port of Vienna see its position in the Danube region and the wider European Transport network?

Although it is 2,000 km from the Black Sea and 1,500 km from the North Sea, it has the great advantage of being the largest trimodal logistics centre in Austria, bringing together road, rail and water transportation and making it the ideal place for the transportation of goods and for container storage, trade and management.

The Danube has always been an important traffic artery, particularly in the light of the growing amount of traffic associated with the EU eastward enlargement and the resultant capacity bottlenecks on road and rail. As a result of these factors, it is an increasingly attractive alternative in both economic and commercial terms. 

The Port of Vienna is facing the challenge of making the Danube a truly European waterway and is aware of its responsibility for helping to develop the Danube and the Danube region. For this reason its development capability, economic significance and economic growth are continuously promoted through ongoing improvements to its infrastructure.

(C) Hafen Wien

3. This week the inland ports will finish their hydrogen workshop series. How does the Port of Vienna see the role of hydrogen in their area developing?

Over the last few years, the Port of Vienna, together with thinkport VIENNA and EFIP, has investigated the topic of hydrogen for the Port of Vienna location in addition to an exploratory project "H2 meets H2O". This has resulted in 2 thrusts.

On the one hand, more green hydrogen will be needed in the Vienna area in the future than can be produced. Before the pipeline infrastructure is ready for this, the transport of hydrogen or its derivatives via rail and waterways will gain in importance and will also remain an issue for redundant supply in times of crisis in the further future.

On the other hand, hydrogen represents an alternative energy source for the operation of inland vessels, cargo ships and cabin vessels, as well as trucks.

For both possibilities to use hydrogen and to invest in the appropriate infrastructure, the customer is in the foreground. Therefore, already in the exploratory project interviews with stakeholders and for the development of further funding projects discussions with potential users were conducted.

(C) www.wulz.cc

4. Under the TEN-T revision the network will be expanded to include more inland shipping along the Danube. What benefits does your port expect from this?

The Port of Vienna has been investing for years in infrastructure to shift traffic to rail and inland waterway together with its subsidiary WienCont. In addition to projects such as land reclamation and terminal expansion, focus is placed on the development of new businesses such as loading of craneable trailers onto rail and involvement in EU Horizon funding projects such as „Multireload“.

All activities to promote shipping are supported by the Port of Vienna. As an infrastructure provider, the focus of our customers is on the location of the Port of Vienna. Also in the discussions on the Ten-T corridors, the port regularly participates in meetings in Brussels to give the waterway the necessary support and to strengthen the ship as a sustainable means of transport.

The planned network extension is another step in this direction and consolidates our efforts to develop new business for our customers. The sector coupling of transport and energy means additional new potential for the location Port of Vienna.

Related documents

---

No attachments.