A disaster averted, new lessons learned
A combination of people and the flexibility of barging bring business back to normal after an accident on the Rhine
Louis Kanters, Managing Director
Interrijn Holding BV
Published: March 30, 2011
Barging along the Rhine River, as we all know, is by far one of the most efficient modes of transport for our industry. But recently weather and an unfortunate accident in January created a situation never seen before. We have been following the news of the German and Swiss industry through these series of events. And when the bottleneck finally cleared, we learned new lessons about what barges can do.
Starting with high water levels around the second week of January, all barges had to be stopped by the authorities to prevent damage to the shores of the Rhine. The current was simply too strong to sail in the direction of Basel. This is not an awkward situation, but happens every now and then due to rainfall or melting snow in the Alps.
The biggest nightmare for the Rhine came on 13th January. In the early morning hours, a tanker barge called “Waldhof” loaded with liquid cargoes collapsed at Lorely near St. Goarshausen. The barge sat stuck in the middle of the river, immediately blocking all other barge traffic. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Our major cause for concern was the cargo the barge carried: 2,400 tonnes of sulphuric acid. If the cargo happened to leak into the river, we would have a much bigger problem. In addition to how a disaster like this would affect shipping, we were concerned about the long-term environmental consequences.
After intervention from various parties in order to salvage the barge, it was finally moved toward one of the shores. The way had been made in the direction of Basel. But due to the safety restrictions of sailing down the river, traffic from Lorely to Rotterdam, Flushing, etc. was forbidden. As a consequence, around 200 barges were laying idle.
The industry faced a shortage of tonnage at the loading ports and alternatives needed to be considered. There was a larger concern that stocks at the mills could not be maintained. Simply swapping such gigantic volumes from barge to rail or truck is not that simple. With a lot of improvising and great support of all parties in the transport chain, cargoes finally starting arriving just in time. Soon after the fairways were given “free traffic”, and within a relatively short period of time, it was back to business as usual.
Three and a half weeks after the accident, the barge was lifted out and shifted to a part outside the fairways. Because the barge was double-hulled, it appears there was little or no leakage of the cargo into the river. A larger disaster had been avoided, thanks in no small part to the safety precautions of the barges and the industry. A similar event happened back early in the 1970s, but I still like to consider this a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But never again please!
Lessons learned: Despite all the contingency plans, it is the people who make it work. And this situation proved that barging systems are extremely flexible. But it was a combination of both - people and the barges - that we were able to get back in pace so quickly.
