BioShip - Potentials of Inland Waterways in Securing the Supply of the Austrian Bio-based Energy Industry

Status

ongoing

Summary

Following the goals of the funding program, the project BioShip is looking at the potentials of securing supply and distribution of (production) plants in the biogenous energy sector (biomass-, biofuel-production - and biogas plants), using the possibilities of environmentally sound and energy effective inland water navigation transports on the Austrian Danube corridor.

Austria, with its numerous bio-energy (production) plants, situated along the Danube corridor, is the starting point for the development of transport relations from and to countries along the Danube, from the North Sea to the Black Sea. Examples for project-relevant plants and regions in Austria are the big biomass plant as well as a new biogas plant in Vienna Simmering, bioethanol production in Pischelsdorf, emerging biofuel plants in Lobau and in the Enns harbor, as well as numerous areas along the Danube in which corn, wheat etc. are cultivated.

Customers and suppliers of primary products are also located in the adjoining states along the Danube in Middle- and Eastern-Europe. Especially in areas of agricultural industry and timber industry lies a potential for synergies as well as a potential for shifting transport from road-traffic to the Danube.

Of course the project's main focus lies not only on inland waterways. The transports to and from the waterways to secure the supply chain of the plants and subsidiaries are also on the agenda of the project. The supply-range-area along the Danube corridor is a strip of around 50 kilometers on both sides.

Looking on the core dimensions of sustainability there exists demand for improvement within the supply- and distribution-chains of existing and emerging bio-energy-plants, which will be realised and faced in this project, researching the potentials of energy efficient and environmentally sound inland water navigation transports. BioShip investigates (existing) relations, (future) supply quantities and evolving potentials for optimised logistic chains and finally designs new possible, cooperative and synergetic logistic chains for the bio-energy sector.

Project management

Univ.Prof.Mag.Dr. Manfred Gronalt
Universität für Bodenkultur

Project or cooperation partner

• h2 projekt.beratung Mag. Hans Häuslmayer KG, 1030 Wien
• Universität für Bodenkultur, Department für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Institut für Agrar- und Forstökonomie
• MA 48 - Magistrat der Stadt Wien - Abfallwirtschaft, Straßenreinigung und Fuhrpark, 1050 Wien
• Erste Donau-Dampfschiffahrts-Gesellschaft m.b.H., 1020 Wien
• Mierka Donauhafen Krems Gesellschaft m.b.H. & Co KG

Universität für Bodenkultur
Department für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften
Institut für Produktionswirtschaft und Logistik

Univ.Prof.Mag.Dr. Manfred Gronalt
Tel.: +43 1 47654 4411
Fax: +43 1 47654 4417
manfred.gronalt@boku.ac.at