Inland Waterway Transport: A Catalyst for the Ecological Transition

This article was originally published in our "Décryptage Mobilité" newsletter. To receive future articles by email as soon as they are published, Subscribe now. By Célia Foulon

As the new LOM (Mobility Framework Act) undergoes its second reading in the National Assembly, the the need to decarbonize the transportation sector, which alone accounts for nearly 40% of France's CO2 emissions related to energy use ^[1], is more evident than ever. When it comes to freight transport, air and road transport are often singled out as the worst offenders, due to a carbon intensity per metric ton-kilometer generally high. In contrast, maritime and river transport are far more efficient and therefore appear to be a more environmentally friendly alternative (at least in terms of greenhouse gas emissions). The  In particular, inland waterway transport can serve as a sustainable alternative to road transport.

Each 5,000-metric-ton river convoy would thus keep approximately 250 tractor-trailers off the roads, thereby directly contributing to the reduction in GHG emissions, but also at theimproving road safety, at the dreducing traffic congestion on major roadsand at the noise reduction^[2]. These are all advantages that inland waterway transport can boast and that it seeks to highlight in order to promote its development. While it is not a matter of shifting all road traffic to inland waterways due to the smaller size of its network, on the other hand, its versatility (capable of transporting a wide variety of goods, such as food products, construction materials, lumber, paper, waste, bulky items, metals … and, quite simply, containers) and herIts economic performance makes it an increasingly attractive solution for freight forwarders and other logistics operators ^[3].

In fact, in 2019, a 17.9% increase in inland waterway freight transport was recorded in the first quarter compared to 2018 ^[2]. It should be noted that the European Union plans to further develop this mode of transportation and has set itself theThe goal is to achieve a 30% shift in modal share from road to rail or waterways by 2030, and a 50% shift by 2050^[2]. The sector isn't resting on its laurels in the hope of strong growth. Numerous resources are being deployed, both to improve the environmental efficiency of ships and reduce their pollutant emissions (electric, hybrid, hydrogen-powered boats, etc.) as well as for modernize waterways. This is, in fact, one of the key issues addressed by the new LOM, which should help channel more investment toward the modernization of inland waterway infrastructure. Stakeholders in the inland waterway transport sector are strongly committed to this cause and even met on Wednesday, May 29, during a National Symposium on Energy Transition in the Inland Waterways Sector. We can therefore expect quite a few changes and innovations in the sector in the coming years. Stay tuned!

Article written by Célia Foulon – Consultant

Sources: ^[1]INSEE^[2]Le Monde^[3]VNF