HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) – Hamburg’s Economics Senator Michael Westhagemann (independent) has admitted problems with the Elbe deepening. According to the current Hamburg edition of the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit” (Thursday), he blamed the federal government in part. According to the information, it refers to the latest decision by the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) to reduce the so-called maximum drafts in the Elbe for shipping traffic by about one meter. “I was surprised by the federal government’s actions. It wasn’t coordinated with us either.”
On November 2, the WSV announced that the usable nautical depth on the tidal Elbe would be temporarily restricted by one meter. Compared to the status before the fairway adjustment, this means an improvement in the draft increase of 20 to 90 centimeters. The new regulation enables greater reliability of the usable nautical depth and width.
The notice applies from December 1st. According to Heinrich Witte, President of the Federal Waterways and Shipping Directorate, it will take a maximum of “three to five years” for the river bed to reach the planned depth again through dredging work.
The Elbe deepening, the planned widening and deepening of the fairway in the Elbe, was declared complete ten months ago by the federal government. The approximately 130-kilometer section of the Elbe between Hamburg and the North Sea is one of the most important waterways in Germany. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the river has been adapted to the requirements of shipping six times, most recently in 1999. This time it was dredged in such a way that ships with a draft of 13.50 meters can navigate on it regardless of the ebb and flow. Depending on the tide, the Elbe should be passable for ships with a maximum draft of 14.50 meters.
Due to the lower draft, shipping companies will only be able to load their large merchant ships with fewer containers than before if they want to head for Germany’s largest port, writes “Die Zeit”.
At the request of the German Press Agency, the Federal Directorate-General for Waterways and Shipping explained that the reason for the temporary restriction of the depths was climatic changes such as strong and rapid storm surges and a lack of headwater as well as the adjustment of the system after the fairway adjustment. This temporarily leads to increased sedimentation. “In the event of extreme, extraordinary events, there will then be personnel bottlenecks. A third dredger is planned for this year,” it said./let/DP/men
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