ANALYSISPOLAND
limited acceptable load per axle, added Häfner.
And bridges without technical
A number of big
documentation, for example, require
manufacturers in
Poland provide
expensive and time-consuming examinations
operators such as
– “which very often result in refusal for heavy
Hecksher Polska with
transport. It seems that the authorities are project cargoes.
there to avoid heavy transport rather than
support it”.
Meanwhile, the rail system plays a major
role in Poland but has very limited capacity, he
said. “The problem has grown with the
closing of numerous sidings over the past few
years, when many owners thought that the
railways’ times were gone, and only trucking
had a future.”
Railways
The modernisation of several railway lines has
also provided heavy lift operators with an important investment” in this respect, he said. On the main inland water corridor
unexpected situation; after a reconstruction The crane will be fitted with two hooks, each between Opole-Szczecin sea port, via the
project, the authorities will not allow the use with 250 tonne capacity. Odra River, Best handles cargo to a maximum
of the new lines for heavy loads, such as Another important investment is coming of 45 m long, 6.5 m high, 6.9 m wide, or loads
32-axle wagons carrying generators, said on the German side – the building of a new up to 70 m long using two pontoons.
Häfner. “The maximum speed of such special ships’ elevator on the channel link between Poland’s waterways are the most
trains does not meet their requirements – and the Odra River and Berlin, which will allow “disregarded way” of transporting heavy units,
the newly built passenger platforms have larger vessels to transit the channel. The said Wojtek Gasiorowski, of Hecksher Polska’s
reduced the clearance,” he said. elevator is due to open in 2012. Gdynia office.
And so to waterways; Best Logistics is keen Generally the condition of road
on transport solutions using inland river infrastructure is not good – but it is
barges, but for safety and cost arguments improving, he said. “We still lack a full
rather than the specifically “green” ones. Here network of motorways but we do have the A2
there are new challenges. and A4 motorways going west-east, and the
There are two rivers capable of inland A1 north-south currently under construction.
transport – the Wisla and the Odra. But the problems are not the roads – but the
“The Wisla is a completely natural regulations, which make it impossible to
non-regulated river, which is a great fact from transport heavy units. Polish regulations
the ecological point of view, but a nightmare regarding obtaining permits for oversize road
for barge and pontoon operators,” said Häfner. transport are unclear, and obtaining such
“The transport times are extremely long, even permits, especially for big units, can be a
for short distances, which means higher prices lengthy process,” he said.
than on other rivers. It is very difficult to give a Rail is an option, but the railways also need
guarantee to deliver on time.” renovation.
The Odra is partly regulated but the water “We have only two rivers on which barging
level is very often too low for navigation. takes place – the Odra and the Wisla (only to
However, it is the most important river in Plock). The channel connecting those rivers is
Poland for heavy lift shipping, because the shown on international waterways maps, but
river ports of Opole and Gliwice are close to in fact is not suitable for transport at all,” he
the industrial centre around Katowice and added.
Wroclaw.
The situation is getting better
Far from being supported by the “green”
The navigation period for both the Wisla
after heavy investment over the
cause, any moves to increase the use of
and the Odra is limited to four to five months
past few years; some main roads
waterways for transport face opposition from
a year, depending on water level and ice. the environmental lobby, which wants the
“Another issue is our inland water port
have been reconstructed or newly
rivers to stay as they are.
infrastructure, which is very poor –
built, but not enough for such a
Adam Weltrowski, director of project cargo
investments there have stopped for more than
big country.
and strategic partners at C. Hartwig Gdynia,
20 years,” said Häfner. whose key areas are energy, mining and
A new 500 tonne gantry crane at Opole,
– Andreas Häfner, Best Logistics
petrochemicals, agrees that finally Poland is
due to be operational in July, is the “first very seeing some improvements in its road
www.heavyliftpfi.com March/April 2010 107
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