Regensburg, 21 February 2024 – In the past year, bayernhafen moved 8.23 million tonnes of cargo and freight by inland waterway and rail at its six locations of Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau. This amounted to 92% of the total tonnage moved in 2022. As developments within the ports typically echo trends observed in the broader business landscape and the economy at large, the freight handling figures are also a reflection of the current situation. Around 476,000 road trips were saved by shifting long-distance traffic to the more environmentally friendly transport modes of rail and inland waterway.

In 2023, the volume of goods transported by rail reached 6.025 million tonnes, marking an 8.1% increase compared to the preceding year. 2.21 million tonnes of goods were moved by inland waterway transport, a decrease of 8.8% on 2022. Combined transport throughput across all bayernhafen locations totalled 452,599 TEU (1 TEU = one twenty-foot container), depicting an 11.6% reduction from the previous year. In addition to containers for seaport-hinterland traffic, combined transport includes swap bodies and semi-trailers for continental cargo and freight transport.
Playing a crucial role as logistics hubs, bayernhafen locations, along with the 400-plus companies operating from their ports, guarantee a dependable supply of essential products to both industry and the general public. The transportation of goods, including agricultural produce, construction materials, metals, foodstuffs, recycling materials, minerals, and industrial products like machinery, automotive parts, and heavy-lift components such as transformers, is efficiently facilitated through inland waterway and rail networks.

The repercussions of the war in Ukraine, the shift towards clean and renewable energy sources, and the substantial economic downturn are unmistakably mirrored in the port’s freight handling statistics.
“A port serves as a seismographic indicator of developments in the economy,” says the Chief Executive Officer of bayernhafen, Joachim Zimmermann. “However, as the focus sharpens on environmental protection and the shift to sustainable transport, the port’s role as a central hub gains increasing significance. Inland ports are poised to play a pivotal role in facilitating a successful transition to clean energy sources, fostering a more robust circular economy, and promoting sustainability in heavy-lift transport. The essential prerequisite for this evolution remains a high-performance infrastructure, ensuring the seamless integration of inland waterway, rail, and road transport within the logistics chain.”

In 2023, bayernhafen sustained its commitment to substantial investment, allocating approximately €27 million to the redevelopment of its commercial sites and port infrastructure.
“Through long-term investment in our trimodal port infrastructure, we are making a valuable contribution to the future of sustainable transport. Notably, the companies operating from bayernhafen’s ports are leveraging this phase, augmenting their investments in existing corporate locations and establishing new service links. Nevertheless, it remains evident that a pivotal factor in achieving the envisioned modal shift in the future lies in addressing the substantial need for infrastructure modernisation in Germany, encompassing the rail network, locks, and bridges. We need stable conditions, significantly accelerated approval processes and robust protection for the port infrastructure to facilitate this transformative progression,” says Joachim Zimmermann.

Outlook for 2024
In April 2024, bayernhafen is set to launch a new daily rail service from its Regensburg location to Lébény in Hungary. This innovative service will employ the horizontal loading technology developed and patented by Helrom GmbH, allowing the efficient loading of semi-trailers onto trains without the requirement for cranes or reach stackers. In pursuit of this modal shift, bayernhafen is directing investments towards the modification of its Trailerport, a dedicated terminal designed for the handling of swap bodies and semi-trailers.

Following the lease agreement for a site at Quay 1 in bayernhafen Nürnberg, the recycling company, Durmin, is actively investing in a diverse array of facilities geared towards the processing of both mineral and non-mineral waste and products.

The bayernhafen Regensburg-based logistics services provider, Horst Pöppel Spedition, is building a new multi-user logistics facility. The facility, which has been ‘Gold’ certified by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), is scheduled to be completed in the 3^rd quarter of 2024.

bayernhafen and the companies operating from its ports extend a warm invitation to all citizens of Regensburg to a grand port festival scheduled to take place on 15 September 2024. The festival aims to offer visitors an engaging and insightful experience into the diverse and thrilling world of logistics.​

17 October 2023 – bayernhafen brings together a highly diverse range of goods and delivers the right infrastructure to meet the challenge of shifting long-distance traffic from the road networks to the two environmentally friendly transport modes of inland waterway and rail. In the future, this will also involve the use of Helrom’s patented trailer wagon technology, which enables easy horizontal loading of semi-trailers onto rail without the need for special crane technology. The new CT service for industrial companies from Bavaria is scheduled to go into operation in April 2024. bayernhafen Regensburg’s terminal, the Trailerport, will serve as the hub for the new service.

In April 2024, Helrom GmbH will start operating a daily rail service from bayernhafen Regensburg to Lébény in Hungary to transport production components on behalf of an industrial company based in Bavaria. The new link will use the horizontal loading technology developed and patented by Helrom, which involves uncoupling the trailer from the truck and using an electric powered traction unit to slide it onto the transport bed, which is opened out at the side. Shifting semi-trailers from road to rail will save approximately 11,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually and reduce the number of road journeys by around 17,000 a year, taking the strain off the motorways and service stations located between Regensburg and Hungary.

To enable this modal shift, bayernhafen is investing in the modification of its Trailerport, a terminal dedicated to handling swap bodies and semi-trailers that bayernhafen operates at its port in Regensburg. Over the coming months, parts of the terminal site and the entrance gate will be upgraded and recharging infrastructure for electric tractor units will be installed.

“What is really interesting about this system is that it allows non-craneable semi-trailers to be loaded onto rail without the need for the construction of expensive, complex infrastructure,” says Christian Bernreiter, Bavarian Minister of State for Housing, Construction and Transport. “I am really curious to see how the system proves its worth in practice. It certainly has the potential to make a significant contribution to the growth of combined transport, which is something I very much welcome. I am particularly gratified to see that this innovation is being developed in cooperation with bayernhafen, a company owned by the State of Bavaria.”

“bayernhafen expressed interest in our technology at an early stage – and once things became more concrete, they they took an open and expert approach to the search for the right solutions,” stress Helrom’s Chief Executive Officer, Roman Noack, and Chief Operating Officer, Wolfgang Maier, who also aim to set new benchmarks in reliability and punctuality.

“In combined transport, containers have already proven to be a success model. Now we need solutions for large-volume traffic on continental routes – that means getting trailers and swap bodies onto the rail network,” says bayernhafen’s Chief Executive Officer, Joachim Zimmermann. “We are open to all proposals for solutions. Through the Trailerport, we laid the groundwork for this segment at an early stage. It is, however, also clear that the necessary capacity needs to be made available in the rail network. Bulk goods by barge, trailers by train – that would be best way to share the load, both economically as well as environmentally.”

• bayernhafen has over 120 km of dedicated rail track
• Railtrack team covering bayernhafen’s 6 ports ensures its rail infrastructure network remains in excellent condition and fit for the future
• State-of-the-art equipment includes a road/rail excavator equipped with attachments and a suction excavator
• Further additions to the team are planned

Regensburg, 28.06.2023 – bayernhafen has an extremely impressive rail infrastructure network. With around 120 km of dedicated, partly electrified rail track and corresponding points and level crossings, bayernhafen is the second-largest rail infrastructure operator in Bavaria. All of this infrastructive naturally needs to be kept regularly maintained and fit for the future. To enable bayernhafen to carry out construction and repairs on its rail infrastructure at all times, the port operator is investing in a railtrack construction unit that works across its six locations in Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau.

Since the spring of this year, the highly trained team, led by a seasoned railtrack construction specialist, has been hard at work undertaking extensive rail construction work at bayernhafen’s ports. For larger-scale projects, bayernhafen also brings in outside engineering companies, some of whom have been working with bayernhafen for many years.

Klaus Hohberger of bayernhafen’s Management Board, who heads the Technology, Infrastructure & Operations business unit, is delighted with the new in-house railtrack construction expertise: “Along with our quay facilities, our track infrastructure is absolutely crucial to the success of operations at our ports. Making sure it functions reliably and remains fit for the future at all times is key to ensuring that the companies based at our ports can conduct their business smoothly and without interruption. Our nine colleagues make a valuable contribution to guaranteeing they can do just that.”

For all rail-related work, the team is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. For example, bayernhafen acquired a road/rail excavator with all of the necessary attachments and a suction excavator that facilitates construction work by easily and rapdily removing ballast from the tracks.

A specialist track construction worker and a construction equipment operator were brought on board right from the outset. To further bolster the team, bayernhafen is looking for employees with experience in the field of civil engineering / rail track construction. “Port work means teamwork. That is why we continuously invest in our employees and offer secure, highly interesting roles at our regional ports,” says Finni Freese, Head of Personnel and Organisation.

Regensburg, 06.03.2023 – Despite 2022 being a difficult year, bayernhafen showed what it was capable of: 520,000 road trips (1,420 per day) were saved by shifting long-distance traffic to the more environmentally friendly modes of transport, rail and inland waterway. bayernhafen moved a total of 9 million tonnes of cargo and freight by inland waterway and rail at its six locations of Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau – at 1.8%, only slightly less than the previous year.

6,559 million tonnes of goods were moved by rail in 2022 – a 2.5% increase on 2021, despite infrastructure issues. Inland waterway handling fell 12% to 2.424 million tonnes. This was caused by three factors. Around 120,000 tonnes of shipping capacity are currently missing due to sales of ships to Eastern Europe, where they are mainly used to transport grain from Ukraine. Further capacity is also lacking on the Main and Danube rivers from Aschaffenburg to Passau due to the enormous amount of returned coal shipments in the Rhine region. Lastly, 2022 was a year of severe and prolonged low water periods due to the hot summer.

“Despite the challenges, however, we are seeing considerable interest and a fundamental willingness to expedite the change to inland waterway and rail for transport, not only among our customers but also among companies in Bavaria. To ensure that bayernhafen remains the first port of call, last year we again initiated around €46 million in multi-year investments in our port infrastructure, and this year we’re adding another €28 million,” says bayernhafen’s Chief Executive Officer, Joachim Zimmermann, who is also President of the Federal Association of Public Inland Ports. “However, the responsibility for ensuring that these investments deliver their full impact at our port locations does not end with us. We need accelerated approvals for our projects and, most importantly, we need protection for our infrastructure. We act as the backbone for the supply of goods to society and industry. This function should not be constrained or even harmed. From urban residential development and conversion for cultural use to the construction of an ICE maintenance plant in the port basin with the associated displacement of customers and loss of jobs, there are numerous issues on our agenda that we firmly oppose,” said Joachim Zimmermann.

Historical record

bayernhafen is proud to report an all-time record in combined transport. For the first time, the number of TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) moved at all of its locations surpassed the half-million mark. The 512,036 TEU (up 4% on the previous year) include seaport-hinterland container transport as well as swap bodies and semi-trailers for continental traffic. The trimodal terminal (road, rail and inland waterway) in Regensburg, which was completed in 2022, and the upcoming expansion of the terminal in Nuremberg mean that there is also room for further growth in the future. Regensburg increased its capacity by more than 50% from 128,000 TEU to 200,000 TEU. €26 million was invested in the expansion of the terminal and a new trimodal gantry crane.

The return of river cruises after the pandemic is also developing very positively, with 2,054 ships calling in at bayernhafen’s piers. This figure is only 16% below the pre-Corona figures from 2019. Despite the recovery, however, the situation for river cruises in general is still strained due to the shortage of personnel: previously many crews and workers were recruited from Ukraine.

“We are pleased to hear many politicians acknowledge that inland ports are systemically important, but these statements must now be followed by decisive action, especially on the part of the German government. Without the logistics hub inland port, the transition to cleaner modes of transport is not feasible. To achieve this, we need a level playing field for all modes of transport. The decades-long neglect of waterways must be brought to an end. Muddling through from budget to budget with increasingly reduced funds is just not acceptable anymore,” says bayernhafen’s Chief Executive Officer, Joachim Zimmerman. “If they truly want to achieve the transition to cleaner modes of transport, policymakers will not only have to accelerate going forward, but actually work at the speed of light, and massively increase the budget allocated to our waterways. There is virtually no spare capacity left on the rail network, and the long overdue modernisation of the DB network will cause additional bottlenecks in the coming years. Where possible, therefore, inland waterway vessels should be used to transport bulk goods rather than trains, so that the freed-up rail capacity can be used for combined transport trains. Barges are also ideal for large-volume and heavy-lift transport.”

Investment in the future

The most significant investments this year include projects in Aschaffenburg and Nuremberg and the location-wide HVO refueling project launched in Bamberg. bayernhafen is taking the next step in sustainability by gradually converting its handling equipment to HVO fuel. HVO stands for hydrotreated vegetable oils, or also hydrogenated vegetable oil. This type of organic fuel can be used to completely replace normal diesel. The use of HVO reduces the total amount of harmful emissions in the life cycle of a machine by around 75%, and practically halves CO₂ emissions, with the only emissions being those the plant had previously absorbed. This makes the vehicles climate-neutral. Since recycled fats and oils are used, it also means there is no competition with the food product sector.

A number of major infrastructure projects are nearing completion at the Port of Aschaffenburg. The projects are a prime example of how bayernhafen works hand in hand with its customers to modernise its ports. The work includes the complete revamping of the quay walls at quays 1 and 2 and the addition of a second rail track at the quay. This will considerably optimise the use of space for customers and, in addition, bayernhafen will significantly strengthen its own trimodal facilities (road, rail and inland waterway), enabling it to offer its services directly to even more companies outside the port in the future.

bayernhafen is also investing a double-digit million figure in its location in Nuremberg. At quay 1, around €2.3 million is being spent on upgrading the drainage infrastructure of the quay on the Main-Danube Canal to the latest modern standards over a length of 425 metres. This will include the installation of 6 large-scale treatment plants for sedimentation and rainwater filtration. The new rainwater system was designed by bayernhafen itself. The next step is to modernise the road and rail transport facilities at the quay to enable the use of mobile cargo handling equipment. This is where bayernhafen can fully exploit the advantage of having its own highly experienced engineering and planning team to implement projects more quickly. Work has already started on the tracks at the trimodal combined transport terminal in Nuremberg. The public tender for three new container cranes is in progress. This expansion is dearly needed as CT terminal is now already operating at the limits of its capacity. The expansion work will increase the capacity of the CT terminal, which was commissioned in 2006, by around 21% to handle 411,000 TEU per year.

Regensburg, 10 March 2022 – bayernhafen brings together a diverse range of goods and delivers the right infrastructure to meet the challenge of shifting long-distance traffic from the road networks to the two environmentally friendly transport modes of inland waterway and rail. In 2021, bayernhafen moved a total of 9.15 million tonnes of cargo and freight by inland waterway and rail at its six locations of Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau – a 4.6% increase on the previous year. This corresponds to around 535,000 fewer truck journeys.

6.396 million tonnes of goods were moved by rail in 2021, an increase of 14.3% on the previous year. Inland waterway handling stood at 2.755 million tonnes, 12.8% less than in the previous year. This was principally due to the fact that the higher water levels on the Danube in comparison to previous years meant that there was very little need for lightering services (transferring cargo from barge to barge) for inter-regional ship transport at the two Danube ports of Regensburg and Passau. Inland waterway and rail mainly transported goods such as agricultural produce, construction materials, foodstuffs and fuels as well as industrial goods, such as machinery, automotive parts and heavy-lift components such as transformers.

There was marked growth in Combined Transport, which increased 22% on the previous year. In 2021, total throughput across all of the bayernhafen locations amounted to 492,726 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit). In addition to containers for seaport-hinterland traffic, a rise was recorded in swap bodies and semi-trailers for continental cargo and freight transport – a segment with further potential for growth. Investment in the expansion of the terminals at the bayernhafen locations of Nuremberg and Regensburg will give Combined Transport a further boost.

“At each of the regions in which we operate we act as a hub for the import and export of goods and are a driver of the regional economy. Our inland ports and the infrastructure they provide ensure the reliable supply of goods to the region as well as the shift to the more environmentally friendly transport modes of inland waterway and rail,” says Joachim Zimmermann, the Chief Executive Officer of bayernhafen. “This requires investment in trimodal port infrastructure and the concentration of logistics companies at the ports. That is why we must emphatically reject the idea of restricting functioning port land through changes of use in the surrounding areas, or using port land for other purposes on a larger scale. In the spirit of mutual consideration, any existing restrictions need to be minimized.”

“To help promote multimodal transport, we expect the new federal government to safeguard efficiency in planning and reliability,” says Joachim Zimmernann, the Chief Executive Officer of bayernhafen. “We need the same competitive conditions for all modes of transport. Rail is ideal for time-critical transport; this requires sufficient capacity in the rail-track network. For bulk goods and heavy-lift, inland waterway plays to its strength.” Zimmermann sees new opportunities in regenerative energy such as the transportation and storage of green hydrogen and synthetic fuels: “Our inland ports will play a key role in both the transition to cleaner modes of transport and greener energy sources in network systems.”

It is currently not possible for bayernhafen to estimate the extent of the impact the war in Ukraine will have on the economy and hence on the logistics sector and international supply chains, whether on container traffic, agricultural produce or the supply of raw material for industry.

New investment by port companies

A number of examples of investment by long-standing customers emphasise the key role locations play: Pollmeier is investing around € 35 million in a new high-bay warehouse and a timber cutting machine at bayernhafen Aschaffenburg. The new facilities are scheduled to commence operations in the summer of 2022. The development was made possible through the expansion of the site directly next to the existing factory. The new site is part of the former power station that site architect bayernhafen converted for use for industrial companies engaged in logistics-heavy activities. Pollmeier uses the infrastructure the port provides both to procure raw materials and to deliver products to its customers. The Geis Group is investing around € 25 million in a new logistics and technology centre at bayernhafen Nürnberg. The first phase involving the development of 15,000 m² of office space went into operations in April 2021; the second phase followed in February 2022. A key factor is the direct proximity to the port and to the container terminal. In this case, the commercial space required was also developed through conversion.

Investment in port infrastructure

In 2021, bayernhafen once again maintained the high level of investment it had made over the previous years at all of its locations, spending around € 20 million in the redevelopment of its commercial sites and port infrastructure. The investment earmarked for 2022 will also reach the level of the previous years.

After inland waterway, rail and road, a key role in the future of inland ports and the logistics companies operating from these ports will be played by the ‘fourth infrastructure’, the ‘information superhighway’. Aschaffenburg is the next port after Nuremberg, Bamberg and Regensburg to obtain high-speed broadband internet, following the start of self-funded expansion work in October 2021 by the energy and infrastructure service provider, Entega Medianet GmbH.

The port experience – live!

bayernhafen Aschaffenburg celebrated its 100^th jubilee in 2021. The next port to celebrate its birthday is bayernhafen Nürnberg, which turns 50 in 2022. Inaugurated in 1972 as part of the trans-European waterway between the North Sea and the Black Sea, bayernhafen Nürnberg is now one of the most important freight villages and logistics centres in Europe. It is a driver of employment in the region – the port secures around 7,000 jobs. In 2022, bayernhafen plans to invite members of the public to a series of festivals at its ports – Aschaffenburg in July and Nuremberg in September. The aim of ‘The port experience – live’ programme is to open the visitors’ eyes to the diverse world of logistics and to demonstrate the importance of inland ports to public at large.

Ten times delight, ten times beaming eyes – the winners of bayernhafen’s ‘tailwind’ funding competition. € 1,500 each went to ten social projects benefiting children and adolescents, such as to purchase equipment for “forest classes,” to refit a minibus and to construct a walk-on map of Europe for a school playground.

The second ‘bayernhafen tailwind’ funding competition kicked off at the end of 2020 with an open invitation to associations, organisations, institutions and initiatives throughout Bavaria to submit their projects. As in the previous year, more than 50 projects were submitted, of which the tailwind jury then selected ten projects to each receive a ‘financial tailwind’ of € 1,500.

As cargo and freight hubs, the bayernhafen locations of Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau act as gateways to the world for the businesses in the region. Through their connecting role, they ensure that long-distance traffic is shifted from the road networks on to the environmentally friendly transport modes of inland waterway and rail. “The bayernhafen locations make a considerable contribution to the long-term development of the regions,” says Joachim Zimmermann, the Chief Executive Officer of bayernhafen. “The funding competition is our way of offering a boost of encouragement in such challenging times. Children and adolescents particularly appreciate the support they receive in their creative endeavours. We are proud to be able to support these fantastic projects for children and adolescents and wish them all every success in turning their ideas into reality.”

The 2020/21 winning projects:

Aschaffenburg

St. Konrad Catholic Children’s House – equipment for new reception group
The St. Konrad children’s house in the Strietwald district of Aschaffenburg is home to 114 little explorers who play, sing, do arts and crafts and experience all kinds of adventures every day at the children’s house. A new reception group will be created for the youngest children, aged 2.5 years and over, that will enable them to “set sail” for a smooth transition to the kindergarten. The financial “tailwind” will be used to equip the new group with a sand/water play table, age-appropriate playing materials, books, and other little “treasures”.

Aschaffenburg Outpatient Children’s and Youth Hospice Service – refit of a minibus
The Outpatient Children’s and Youth Hospice Service provides support in the city and county of Aschaffenburg to 26 children, adolescents and young adults with life-shortening illnesses. 50 voluntary employees give the children the gift of time and attention, helping to take the burden off the entire family. The support starts at the diagnosis stage and continues beyond death – should the family so wish.

In addition to the mostly 14-day home support, Aschaffenburg Children’s and Youth Hospice Service also has a siblings group that enables the brothers and sisters of the terminally ill children to meet once a month at a dedicated place where they can share their experiences. The purpose of the Garden of Remembrance at the old town cemetery, which is run by the service, is to be a place of remembrance and mourning for all parents who have lost a child.

A ramp is to be installed in a minibus sponsored by regional companies to provide access for disabled children. Once it is installed, the minibus will enable the children, adolescents and young adults and their families receiving support to go on daytrips, travel on holiday, be transported to inpatient hospices or simply manage daily activities.

Bamberg

St. Martin’s Children’s Daycare Centre / Don Bosco-Straße house – expansion and construction of a water/sand play area
The Don Bosco-Straße house in St. Martin’s Children’s Daycare Centre is located in the city centre. In order to promote outdoor play and the use of natural materials such as sand and water, the grant is to be used to design and expand a water/sand play area. The intention is to acquire ships, water channelling systems, locks, water tables, and so on, in order to turn the topic of port, waterway and logistics into a tangible experience. It is also intended to erect a shade sail to provide the waterplay area with the necessary protection from the sun.

Bamberg-Gaustadt Primary and Secondary School – walk-on map of Europe
The primary school in Gaustadt in Bamberg has made it its mission to bring the pupils of the mainstream school closer to the curriculum in an active way through working hands-on with materials. This involves, for example, equipping all classrooms with material that primarily draws on Montessori principles and allows children to tangibly interact with objects. The school already has a walk-on map of Germany. In addition to this map, the aim is to use the funding to add a map of Europe to the school yard. These walk-on maps, which the pupils have access to every day during their recreational breaks and which they can integrate into their play, will be integrated into the lessons for a number of subjects.

Nuremberg and Roth

Mesale e.V. – Sternenhimmel Hasstraße Children’s Daycare Centre – activity ship for the remodelling of the outdoor play area
Due to cramped living conditions, the children of the Sternenhimmel Hasstraße Children’s Daycare Centre have a strong desire and need for movement. To enable this, the funding is to be used to pay for an activity ship for the sand pit in the outdoor playground. This idea was developed by the children themselves as part of a pirate project.

About the sponsoring association: Messale e.V. was founded in 1995 by a group of academics, business people and students as a supplementary tutoring institute for school pupils. Today, the charity runs two educational establishments in Nuremberg and Fürth, a technical secondary school, two kindergartens, a crèche and a home for young refugees. The association currently has 500 members, many of whom are active volunteers.

Lilith e.V., Nuremberg – renovation of the Lilith children’s room
In the Liliput Mother + Child section, Lilith e.V. Drug Assistance for Women and Children provides help to the children of parents who consume drugs. A key element is the children’s room in its Bogenstraß branch. The children’s room offers the children a wide range of opportunities to play as well as supervision during counselling sessions for the parents.

The funding is to be used to modernise the Lilith children’s room and to install a number of levels for them to play.

Regensburg

St. Raphael Catholic Children’s House, Mintraching – road and “waterway” for the garden
St. Raphael Children’s House looks after children from 10 months old to school-entry age in four kindergarten and crèche groups. The funding is to be used to purchase equipment and playsets for the garden. In this project, the children are taking an active part in choosing the equipment and playsets. Their wishes include wooden horses, tree trunks to sit on, bobby cars and a “petrol station”, traffic signs, seating for the little ones and a water fountain “road”.

Parents’ Association of the Bishop Wittmann Centre, Regensburg – water dispenser for Cafe Titanic
The Bishop Wittmann Centre is a support centre for pupils who need special support in their educational development. The school has more than 200 pupils and runs 6 inclusive partner classes in a number of primary and secondary schools in and around Regensburg.

The financial “tailwind” is to be used for the renovation of the main building and the Cafe Titanic to provide a drinking water dispenser for healthy beverages.

Passau

Salzweg Primary and Secondary School – equipment for forest classes
Year 3 of Salzweg Primary and Secondary School are to become “forest classes”, with the curriculum-relevant topic of “forest” developed into a whole-year project. The pupils will spend six class mornings together throughout all the seasons of the year with a specially trained nature coach exploring and experiencing a chosen section of the forest using a wide variety of methods.

The tailwind funding is to be used to pay for the nature coach, as well as to purchase more equipment such as cushions, magnifying glasses, water experiment sets, backpacks for provisions and first aid, sun caps, and so on.

Hauzenberg Sport Secondary School – mountain bike trail
The Hauzenberg Sport Secondary School Friends and Sponsors Association, in collaboration with the teaching staff and with the involvement of the school’s pupils, is planning to develop an outdoor exercise park at the Sport Secondary School. The aim is to create inviting opportunities for exercise outdoors for the 450 pupils on an area covering around 2,000 m².

The funding from the tailwind competition is to be used to create a circuit with obstacles for mountain bikers within the outdoor exercise park. The goal is to not only offer sport activities but also to promote and improve the pupils’ cycling safety and skills. Special consideration will be given to a nature-friendly design and construction method for the circuit.

Regensburg, 4 March 2021 – bayernhafen brings together a highly diverse range of goods and delivers the right infrastructure to meet the challenge of shifting long-distance traffic from the road networks to the two environmentally friendly transport modes of inland waterway and rail. Even – and indeed, particularly so – in times of crisis, we must be able to rely on the steady supply of the goods that meet our daily needs, and the same is true of the delivery of the products of Bavarian companies to their customers. In 2020, bayernhafen handled a total of 8.75 million tonnes of cargo and freight by inland waterway and rail at its six locations of Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau – that is 94% of the cargo and freight handled in the previous year. This corresponds to around 1,400 daily truck trips with an average load of 17.2 tonnes.

3.158 million tonnes of goods were transported by inland waterway in 2020, up 6.5% on the 2019 financial year. In contrast, rail freight handling fell by 11.6% compared with 2019 to 5.593 million tonnes. Thus, in times of crisis – and indeed, in particular so – bayernhafen proves that it is a guarantor of the modal shift: Every day, bayernhafen’s customers ensure the reliability of the supply chains that deliver food and other everyday necessities. Industry and commerce use rail and inland waterway as alternatives to road for long-distance transport because bayernhafen’s skill at developing modal interfaces efficiently links the different modes of transportation. Through these services, bayernhafen sustainably contributes to enabling the various modes of transport to play to their strengths, taking pressure off the road networks and reducing CO₂ emissions.

At the bayernhafen locations, goods such as agricultural produce, construction materials, foodstuffs and fuels as well as industrial goods, such as machinery, automotive parts and heavy-lift, are transported by inland waterway and rail.

“We bring together goods of all kinds at each of our locations,” says Joachim Zimmermann, the Chief Executive Officer of bayernhafen. “This is the basis on which we link the two environmentally friendly transport modes of inland waterway and rail for long-distance traffic and road for shorter routes. Our ports operated reliably in 2020, and reliability was of particular importance in a year such as last year, because functioning supply chains are of the essence in our society. 2020 was the year in which many people truly understood what that means.”

CT network expanded during the crisis

In 2020, at 403,931 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), the Combined Transport throughput was 89% of the volume handled in the previous year. In addition to containers for seaport-hinterland traffic, this includes swap bodies and semi-trailers for continental and transalpine cargo and freight transport.
Furthermore, a number of cross-border freight train services were added during the crisis in 2020: In October, train services linking Aschaffenburg to Novara in North Italy went into operation. In November, a direct train service started running from Nuremberg to the seaport of Trieste. “Even in such difficult times as these, we have teamed up with our partners to carry out pioneering projects,” says Joachim Zimmermann. On 1 February 2021, the AlbatrosExpress started running services linking bayernhafen Passau to Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Bremen and Wilhelmshaven. These services mean that all of the five trimodal bayernhafen locations of Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Regensburg and Passau now run scheduled rail services to the German seaports.

Further expansion in port infrastructure

In 2020, bayernhafen once again maintained a high level of investment it had made over the previous years at all of its locations, investing around € 17 million in the redevelopment of its commercial sites and port infrastructure.

New companies attracted to bayernhafen locations

The companies based at our locations also undertook investment in 2020. At bayernhafen Regensburg in March, Horst Pöppel Spedition commenced operations at its new multi-user warehouse equipped with dedicated sidings to handle food/non-food products, such as wine coming from Italy by rail. These goods are then shipped from Regensburg to distribution centres serving the retail food industry.
In May, the energy supplier, MaierKorduletsch, commenced operations at its wood-pellet silo storage facilities at bayernhafen Passau. The three 30-metre high silo towers can store a total of 4,500 tonnes of this source of renewable energy.
In July, bayernahfen Nürnberg opened a liquid natural gas refuelling service station. The initiators and operators of the new LNG service station are the Neumarkt-based energy supplier, Rödl energie, and BayWa Mobility Solutions GmbH from Munich.

“In our capacity as ‘site architects’ we create the conditions for providing high-intensity logistics companies with commercial sites in close proximity to rail and inland waterway facilities,” says Joachim Zimmermann. “We mange our land strategically, placing a consistent focus on recycling existing sites, rather than consuming new land.” One of our key focuses is the protection of biodiversity: Although our core business involves developing and managing industrial sites, commercial areas and transport facilities, they can be combined quite nicely with natural areas. Examples of this are the planned “eco-account” biodiversity offsetting areas in Regensburg and the habitat corridor concept in Aschaffenburg.”

Roll camera for the virtual tour of the port!

Hovering 25 meters above the quay in the west port of bayernhafen Regensburg is the operator cab of crane number 20, the workplace of Christian Stein from the bayernhafen team. In November, we accompanied Christian with the camera and made a short film in which he tells us what goods are handled by the port crane and how he came to be a crane driver.

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Filmed by the heavy-lift specialists, Züst & Bachmeier Project, this time-lapse video shows the loading of a 416-tonne transformer onto a barge at bayernhafen Nürnberg. The transformer, manufactured by ‘Siemens Energy’ at its production plant in Nuremberg, is destined for a windpower project in the North Sea.

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The two videos are part of our new #DiscoverThePort series of short films, which show the highly diverse activities that go on behind the scenes at our ports.

Make sure you don’t miss any of our digital tours of our ports in the future by subscribing to bayernhafen’s YouTube channel!

New instruments for a school rock band in Bamberg, a container turned into a replica of Castle Kammerstein for a children’s playground or new reading material for a school library in Regensburg – just three of the ten winning projects of bayernhafen’s ‘Tailwind’ competition. bayernhafen, which comprises the inland port locations of Aschaffenburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg, Roth, Regensburg and Passau, awards grants totalling € 15,000 to support social projects that help children and young people.

In their role as cargo and freight hubs, the bayernhafen locations connect regional economies to the rest of the world. Through this role, they work actively towards shifting long-distance traffic from the road networks to the environmentally friendly transport modes of inland waterway and rail. “The bayernhafen locations make a major contribution to the long-term economic development of the region. This competition underscores our responsibility towards society,” says the Chief Executive Officer of bayernhafen, Joachim Zimmermann. “We are really pleased to be able to support these fantastic projects and programmes for children and young people and wish all involved every success in turning their ideas into reality.”

bayernhafen launched the competition at the end of 2019. Clubs, associations, organisations, institutions and initiatives in Bavaria were given the opportunity to submit their projects directly for consideration. The Tailwind jury deliberated over more than 50 projects and ideas and selected ten projects that would each receive a ‘financial tailwind’ of € 1,500:

Aschaffenburg

Haus für Kinder St. Laurentius in Aschaffenburg-Leider – Music transcends borders
The “multicoloured musical house” offers daycare facilities to children ranging in ages from one to the end of primary school. The funding is to be used to purchase musical instruments for the crèche, kindergarten and childcare centre in order to find even more creative and imaginative ways for the children to develop their musical abilities.

Ruth-Weiss-Realschule Aschaffenburg building team
The pupils of the school building team will carry out a range of construction and repair projects in the school building. The grant will be used for the purchase of materials and tools. As soon as school operations permit, they plan to extend and repaint the bicycle storage room, build a sunshade for the beehives on the roof and renovate the school library.

Regensburg

Grundschule Hohes Kreuz – re-design of the school yard
Following the introduction of all-day schooling, a new building wing was added to the Hohes Kreuz Primary School in the east of Regensburg. However, the building work resulted in the loss of a part of the outdoor playing facilities that was previously available to the pupils for breaks and play. It is now planned to make a child-friendly modification to the existing facilities: a climbing wall will be installed and timber pillars mounted to act as privacy screens that will be decorated with figures designed by the children.

Grundschule Keilberg – Schulförderverein Keilberg e.V. – “tailwind” for the school library
As the district of Keilberg did not have a library, the School Support Association opened one in Keilberg Primary School in 2019. The school’s pupils use the school library extensively and the plan is now to develop the facilities further. While the school was closed, a “contactless library lending program” was organised for the children in order to support the development of their reading skills. As soon as school operations permit, among a raft of ideas, it is planned to construct a ‘captain’s cabin’ with books on the subject of water and shipping.

Bamberg

Erlöser-Mittelschule Bamberg – the Rock Kids school band
The ‘Rock Kids’ school band gives children the opportunity to learn an instrument irrespective of their parents’ financial circumstances. The aim of the initiative is also to help young people develop their self-confidence and personal resilience through playing music and performing in public. The grant will be used to keep the successful project going as well as to fund musical instrument lessons and the purchase of new musical instruments.

Förderkreis goolkids e.V. – ginaS – natural integration of all sports people
Förderkreis goolkids e.V. is a charitable association dedicated to helping socially disadvantaged children and young people. The ginaS Project aims to find new, long-term ways for disabled advocacy groups and sports clubs to actively bring children, young people and above all disabled people together in regional sports clubs and associations, such as through inclusive running groups, cooperation with a fitness studio and an inclusive football team.

Nuremberg and Roth

Parent’s Advisory Committee of the Kita Kammerstein – container castle as children’s playground
The municipality of Kammerstein is the operator of the children’s daycare centre in Kammerstein, which looks after children ranging in ages from 11 months to the end of primary school. Together with the voluntary support of the parents, a 20-foot sea container is to be turned into a new play zone for the children consisting of a replica of Castle Kammerstein, along with battlements and a castle tower. The grant is to be used to purchase the shipping container and other construction materials.

Kinder- und Jugendtreff WH13 – renovation grant for youth club
The Kinder- und Jugendtreff WH13 is a centre operated by the Protestant and Lutheran parish of Katzwang that offers recreational, cultural and educational opportunities, counselling and information to young people between the ages of 6 and 15. The grant is to be used to renovate the youth club’s premises. This will include re-designing the walls and possibly upgrading its outdated technical equipment.

Passau

wissenswerkstatt Passau e.V. – financing of 3D printer
The aim of the non-profit organisation ‘wiwe’ is to instil enthusiasm for technology and the natural sciences in children and young people. The grant will be used to purchase a 3D printer that will enable the children to discover this pioneering technology.

Rotary Club Passau-Dreiflüssestadt – The “Making Children Happy” Project – PASSgenAU
Initiated by the Business Forum of Passau and the school authorities in 2012, the aim of the “PASSgenAU” Project is to provide completely new educational opportunities to children and young people who are disadvantaged or struggle with learning difficulties. From the very beginning, the Rotary Club Passau-Dreiflüssestadt has exclusively supported this campaign in several schools and kindergartens. The ‘tailwind’ will be used to fund 120 additional hours of support for primary schools in Passau.
For more information on the project, visit https://www.passgenau-passau.de/ueber-passgenau/

The bayernhafen port locations are home to more than 400 companies that secure over 13,000 jobs. Together they form one of the best-performing logistic networks in the whole of Europe. The importance of efficient supply chains and a robust infrastructure is also – and especially – evidenced in such challenging exceptional times as the current Coronavirus pandemic.

For this reason, we would like to say a big THANK YOU to all who are playing their part in also making sure this successful collaboration continues – whether you work in dispatch in a logistics centre for the retail food industry or sit behind the wheel of a truck, whether you sit in the cab of a railway train or at the bridge of a barge, whether you work in a heating oil and diesel fuel depot, sit high up in a crane cab or down below in the rail signalling control centre, whether you trade in fertilisers for the agricultural sector, collect plastic in recycling centres or sort packets in a distribution centre, whether you work to keep our company’s infrastructure safe and operational or at the many other crossover points in our society … our heartfelt thanks to you all. Look after yourselves, remain optimistic and stay healthy!