Supply Chain and Transport Management

Daimler Truck

Mercedes-Benz Trucks sets up central logistics hub for the global supply of spare parts in Halberstadt, Saxony-Anhalt

• New logistics site (Global Parts Center) in Saxony-Anhalt to be heart of worldwide supply of spare parts for Mercedes-Benz Trucks, making an important contribution to ensuring the international flow of goods
• Efficient spare parts logistics is an important success factor for Daimler Truck and its customers: a fast and comprehensive supply of parts keeps vehicle fleets on the road as much as possible and idle for as little time as necessary
• Start of construction planned for 2023; commissioning scheduled about three years later
• Global Parts Center is planned from the start for CO₂-neutral operation
• Karin Rådström, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks: “Halberstadt and the Global Parts Center will play a key role in the future: Spare parts from our new logistics hub will make a significant contribution to keeping our customers and their trucks up and running, thereby delivering on our ambition ‘Trucks you can trust’.”
• Dr. Reiner Haseloff, Prime Minister of the State of Saxony-Anhalt: “Saxony-Anhalt is a sought-after location for company settlements. This is also underscored by Daimler Truck's commitment to Halberstadt. An excellently developed infrastructure, the central location in the heart of Europe and swiftly operating administrations are what set us apart. Investors are welcomed with open arms in Saxony-Anhalt. I wish the Global Parts Center, which will create numerous jobs in the region, a successful realization.”

The full press release can be found here: Daimler Truck
Photos from the event are available here:www.media.daimlertruck.com
A video from the event is available here: City of Halberstadt

Crane automation: general test in virtual world

Digitalisation and the use of artificial intelligence are also changing workflows and processes in freight transport and logistics. With its simulation tool “Polarith AI”, a Magdeburg-based start-up is offering practical solutions for industrial partners – which is already benefiting a company that has dedicated itself to the automation of crane control systems.

Thinking within limits does not suit Martin Kirst. Like the other two managing directors of Polarith, Franz Pieper and Chris Taggeselle, he always focuses his thinking on what is possible. And quite a lot is possible in the field of “artificial intelligence” (AI). The three are taking the route into the world of simulations via stops that provide them with real experiences. In their studies at the Otto von Guericke University in Saxony-Anhalt’s state capital, they received the engineering and business management munition. They are software developers and all three have roots in the games sector. In his course of study, Martin Kirst focused on image generation and processing, later working as a software engineer at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation. In the process, the idea emerged that led to the formation of his own company in 2016. It “clicked” in a research project. “Why should developers concentrate on design processes and waste time on programming?”, wonders Martin Kirst, who concludes: “There is a simpler solution.”

Digital modular system for programming AI

The thought was the starting signal for the work on the simulation tool “Polarith AI” – a digital modular system that largely automates the process of programming simulated artificial intelligence. Three years later, five colleagues work at the Magdeburg company for customers in many industries – tendency increasing. Many trade fair visits, networking at events, presentations about AI and the product itself have convinced. Transferring complex knowledge from AI into practice in a targeted manner, optimising processes and applying scientific research results in their work has been well received.

Of interest for everything that is automated

“With artificial intelligence, virtual simulations are simple to create,” explains Martin Kirst. Depending on the target group, various parameters can be fed into the tool. Everything is kept simple and thus quickly usable. “Users thus save time and costs,” says the expert. For developers who simulate environments, creating their special requirements is facilitated. They can design and do not need to program much. The Polarith managing director repeatedly likes to explain his own tool with a modular system from this world. “It is like in Lego – you take only the parts you really need and put them together. For this, you do not need a great deal of knowledge of AI.” This, he says, is of interest for everyone who has to do with moving images and “for everything that is automated”. One piece of evidence: in future, the Magdeburg company wants to become active in the medical sector – simulating the everyday operation work for Magdeburg surgeons in order to improve workflows.

Cranes are first commissioned virtually for the test

The fact that the logistics industry can also benefit from this is shown by the collaboration with Lehnert Regelungstechnik GmbH, which successfully develops and offers automation solutions and anti-sway systems for cranes internationally. To start with, Polarith builds virtual test environments so that products can be tested in a simulated environment – before being built. The “virtual commissioning” is preceded by exact inputs of physical laws and practical bases. “We tried out the automation systems on the virtual crane,” explains Martin Kirst. It went to so well that, a short time later, the Polarith team is also co-developing and advancing the hardware and software. The important step towards further automation of crane control systems has made its mark at Polarith. Martin Kirst is now also the head of technology at the logistics company, performing a balancing act between the two companies. “Of course, that does not work with every order,” he says with a laugh. However, he would welcome the opportunity to “mix it” here near the logistics pond in the longer term.

AI methods as a super sandbox for trying out

Further partnerships with industrial partners are already tangibly close. However, in future, the Magdeburg company also wants to focus on other applications with “Polarith AI” and distribute the software. Sounding out other possibilities is on the company’s own agenda. “We are never finished with our work,” says Kirst. “Something new repeatedly comes in.” The objective, he says, is to make all the programming processes significantly simpler for the user. The entrepreneur says: “AI methods are like a super sandbox for playing ‘What if?’.”

What if we also involved climate protection and optimised process chains in order to protect resources? And what if logistics were influenced by AI to such an extent that the company functioned differently? “There is still much scope for upward movement,” says Martin Kirst. With his company and his Magdeburg base in the real world, there is a lot more he would like to sound out, try out and apply.

Author:  Manuela Bock

PortForward – the digital port

The Fraunhofer IFF Magdeburg and the TRANSPORTWERK Magdeburger Hafen GmbH present a virtual model for the port operations of the future at the transport logistic in Munich.

The handling of goods at the port is a sensitive, time-critical and failure-prone interaction between a variety of factors. The European PortForward research project is developing digital concepts and solutions so that port infrastructures and processes can be made significantly more cost- and environmentally efficient. The Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF Magdeburg is leading the research, and in cooperation with the TRANSPORTWERK Magdeburger Hafen GmbH, is presenting a virtual model for the port operations of the future at the transport logistic in Munich.

The manager of the port has an “all-around view” of the logistics on his container terminal. He can see where the handled goods are unloaded and loaded and where they are stored. He is able to steer the flow of goods across the port area on a targeted and efficient basis – as yet, however, this is just a virtual image at the Port of Science in Magdeburg. It is being projected onto a big screen in the Virtual Development and Training Centre of the Fraunhofer IFF, which is only about four kilometres downstream from the actual operations at the Port of Magdeburg.

The scientists call their Mixed Reality Laboratory – the biggest of its kind for the presentation of interactive visualisations in Europe – the Elbedome. It is part of the cutting-edge research infrastructure at the Fraunhofer IFF Magdeburg.

Here in the virtual space, digital technologies are tested in a variety of scenarios for the port of the future. In the European PortForward research project, 13 partners from Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Great Britain and Norway are developing solutions to make the operation of small and medium-sized ports more intelligent. The international research network is being led by Christian Blobner, a scientist at Fraunhofer IFF.

Looking into the future through VR glasses

Christian Blobner explains that the knowledge about processes, procedures and capacities at the port exits for the most part in the minds of the employees. When he looks through his VR glasses, he can see the port operations of the digital era. Through networking with the Internet of Things, suitable solutions would automatically be found to make the port logistics economical and cost-saving and to increase the environmental efficiency. "As a result of the PortForward research project," explains the scientist at the IFF, "we want to provide the port operators with a modular platform to make the operation of the port and its infrastructures more efficient. In this respect, the focus is on the digitalisation, networking and analysis of information and data in the Internet of Things.”

Christian Blobner goes on to discuss the Fraunhofer's own digital platform for cooperation and technology, Virtual Fort Knox. A fitting name, since it relates to an open but secure innovation system for the Industry 4.0. This cloud infrastructure is to be used to provide port operators with a variety of individually combinable services.

Multifunctional terminal requires specific solutions

It’s the same at the Port of Magdeburg: together with TRANSPORTWERK Magdeburger Hafen GmbH, the Fraunhofer IFF is developing digital solutions which primarily support warehousing and logistics on the site of the Port of Magdeburg. In this respect, the partners rely on the interplay between a variety of technologies such as sensors, cameras and mobile GPS units for trucks.

As a special attribute of the Inland Port, the Managing Director of the Port Dr. Heiko Maly makes mention of the multifunctional terminal, a place where containers aren’t just handled or stored, but where goods of various types and sizes are as well. This means fulfilling a variety of requirements in terms of the processes, procedures and IT solutions. "We have planned a variety of steps for the introduction of the necessary IT systems," says Maly, who refers to a digital warehouse management system which is customised to the specific requirements of the multifunction terminal as a basic requirement. A security concept consisting of organisational and IT-technical measures and tools would have to be adapted to this.

3D-VR port model for the transport logistic

The Transportwerk Magdeburger Hafen GmbH and Fraunhofer IFF are attending the transport logistic in Munich with an interactive 3D-VR model of the Port of Magdeburg. “The model provides detailed information about the port area,” explains Christian Blobner. "It is true to scale and will be developed further as the PortForward project progresses to interactively retrieve information on cargo handling and storage infrastructures, facilities and capabilities. The presentation will be displayed on a large stereoscopic 3D display. With 3D glasses, visitors to the trade fair can experience an impressive visualisation and interaction."

The IFF scientist also envisages further development work on the VR port model. The focal points of the research also include the "digital twin" for port infrastructures. "To support the operational decision-making for example, various scenarios could be run through in the digital twin," says the IFF scientist, who also talks about assistance systems that can be developed and tested here before they are used in reality.

The Managing Director of Transportwerk Magdeburger Hafen GmbH considers this a necessary step towards making essential production processes more efficient and transparent in the age of digitalisation.

Author: Kathrain Graubaum

Train Formation Depot

The Deutsche Bahn’s new train formation depot in Halle is the most modern of its kind in Europe. Starting from here, freight trains set off for south-eastern Europe and travel as far afield as China.

In the south of Saxony-Anhalt, one of the largest marshalling yards in Germany has recently opened following an investment of 180 million Euros by the DB and the German federal government. The result is one of the most important cargo hubs in Germany and the most modern depots of its kind in Europe, where up to 2,400 freight wagons can be assembled into long trains per day – on an almost completely automated basis.

A new era for rail freight transport in Central Germany has begun in Saxony-Anhalt: at the end of June 2018, the Deutsche Bahn (DB) officially opened the Halle-Nord train formation depot (ZBA). The reconstruction and expansion of the former marshalling yard of the city of Halle took four and a half years. With its modernisation, the city in southern Saxony-Anhalt is now one of the biggest freight hubs in Germany. Here in Saxony-Anhalt, the DB isn’t just centralising the freight traffic in Central Germany, it is also replacing the outdated infrastructure in many places on the rail network.

All in all, 180 million Euros were invested in the project by the DB and the German federal government. The train formation depot is located in the immediate vicinity of the central station of Halle (Saale) in the heart of the city. Its dimensions are huge. More than 42 kilometres of track with 133 points and a total of 75,000 sleepers were laid on the 260,000 square metre site, in addition to almost 10,000 tonnes of steel.

With its new facility, Saxony-Anhalt is home to the most modern train formation depots in Europe. The process of assembling the trains at the depot is almost completely automated. Even the shunting locomotives at the Halle-Nord ZBA, which move the arriving freight cars onto the hump, are unmanned, and controlled by the central computer system. The same applies to the wagons: a pillar situated on the track scans the waybill on each wagon, which contains information about its origin, destination, load, weight and speed. The data is transmitted to the electronic signal box, and the process control computer directs it from the hump over several points and onto one of the 36 sorting tracks. There, the wagons are put together to form new trains which can have a length of up to 650 metres. This kind of bundled transport is both efficient and environmentally-friendly.

The process control computer also regulates the speed of the rolling cargo – if the wagons are too fast, they are slowed down with automatic braking systems which have been installed in the track bed. If their momentum is insufficient, they are pulled by yellow locomotives to the finish. The newly created trains then leave Halle on two exit tracks.

Since its opening, 22 trains have been put together at the depot every day, and after the timetable change in December, up to 2,400 freight wagons are set to be sorted per day – or 120 per hour! Night work is indispensable for this goal to be achieved, resulting in another area in which Halle has broken new ground: for the first time ever, LED lamps are illuminating a train formation depot. 653 light masts, 14 metres high, with a total of 1,130 lamps illuminate the maze of tracks in the dark and fulfil the elevated requirements of the German Federal Railway Authority, which require the lanes adjacent to the tracks and between the wagons to have a brightness level of ten lux.

It was in 2006 that DB Cargo, a company of the Deutsche Bahn with responsibility for rail freight transport, reorganised its area of business. Its new plans envisaged the use of nine large train formation depots; there were already eight in Germany, with one lacking in the south-eastern region. The decision was taken in favour of Halle (Saale). Of decisive importance for the investment was the location of the city in the European route network, says Eckart Fricke, Representative of Deutsche Bahn for Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The decision in favour of the Halle location was also taken on the basis of the current plans of the DB to construct and extend a third important north-south route through Germany in addition to the two existing routes in western Germany in response to growing traffic flows in Europe: the Eastern Corridor from the northern ports - Stendal - Magdeburg - Halle - Leipzig - Hof - Czech Republic / Munich / Austria.

Halle is now the logistics centre for the DB in Central Germany. It is from here that flows of goods make their way to south-eastern Europe. The freight also travels north to Magdeburg or Berlin and south to Leipzig or Erfurt, where it can then advance to other cities in Europe and the world. Halle is set to become the central distribution point for goods that travel to the Far East and as far afield as China. The city on the river Saale therefore finds itself on the New Silk Road, the infrastructure project of the Chinese government which aims to revive the 500-year-old trade route, connecting Asia, Europe and Africa.

Above all else, Halle is to serve as a transhipment point between the seaports and Eastern and Southern Europe. To achieve this, the DB is upgrading the corresponding freight route known as the Eastern Corridor, the line from Uelzen (Lower Saxony) via Stendal, Halle and Leipzig to Bavaria and on to Southern and Eastern Europe.

Halle is therefore becoming the central freight transport hub in eastern Germany. In the Halle region, key rail routes intersect in the north-south and east-west directions. In the future, DB Cargo intends to bundle the production sequences for single wagon goods transport for Central Germany at the new train formation depot, thereby further reducing the transport times for the customers. "Saxony-Anhalt has both a great past and a great future as a trading hub. The new train formation depot opens up new possibilities in national and international freight transport. This modern marshalling yard is a boost for the whole of Central Germany, providing an important economic impulse and securing jobs throughout our region," highlighted Thomas Webel, Minister for Regional Development and Transport in Saxony-Anhalt, at the opening of the depot in June.

The construction of the new train formation depot forms part of the modernisation of the Halle (Saale) transport interchange as well as the "German Unity Transport Project 8". With the upgrading and reconstruction of its rail hub, the city of Halle is therefore set to be well prepared for the new high-performance network of the Deutsche Bahn.

Air Freight Hub

Leipzig/Halle Airport - Europe's fifth largest freight hub

Leipzig/Halle International Airport, situated on the border between the eastern German federal states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, has developed into one of the leading freight hubs in Europe. It convinces with its 24/7 operations for freight flights, its direct connections to the trans-European road and rail networks, its space- and capacity reserves, as well as the comprehensive logistics services it offers from one single source. In 2017, Europe's fifth-biggest freight hub registered approximately 1.14 million tonnes of air freight, an increase of 8.2% compared with the previous year, a volume which has increased more than eightfold in the last ten years. Leipzig/Halle Airport is therefore the second biggest airport for freight in Germany – and it is continuing to grow. "LEJ" operates as a modern and efficient gateway for the region of Central Germany – and for the global business and tourism markets.

The leading location in the global DHL network

It is at night that the European Air Hub of the postal freight subsidiary DHL – situated at Leipzig/Halle Airport – comes alive. On working days, over 60 DHL Express aircraft land at the airport at regular intervals. The freight aircraft are unloaded on the apron and their contents move to the adjacent airport sorting centre, where the conveyor belts hum over several levels and the parcels race through the hall; here, they are sorted on fully automatic basis before being packaged into other containers which are then reloaded onto the aircraft that are waiting outside. The system is able to process some 150,000 shipments per hour.  Freight items weighing up to 170 kilograms can be handled fully automatically on the conveyor belts. DHL has been operating its European Hub at Leipzig/Halle Airport for ten years. It is now the global player’s most important location in the world. DHL Express has invested a total of 655 million Euros in the airport and currently has more than 4,900 employees.

Germany's second biggest freight airport – well on the way to becoming number one

With its European Air Hub, in 2017, the volume of freight handled at Leipzig/Halle Airport increased for the thirteenth consecutive year to reach more than 1.1 million tonnes. The Central German airport, which nestles on the border of the two federal states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony and has the international airport code "LEJ", is therefore the second biggest freight airport in Germany and among the top five in Europe – and is continuing to expand. "With an increase of more than eight percent, our air freight volume recorded the biggest rate of expansion among the major German freight airports. Our growth has been boosted by our express freight business in particular, and our freight and special charter business is also developing at an exceptionally rapid rate," explains Johannes Jähn, Spokesman of the Executive Board of the company Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG and Managing Director of Leipzig/Halle Airport. The airport is Central Germany’s gateway for the worldwide markets. The freight traffic is flown to more than 200 airports, including destinations such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Delhi, Los Angeles, New York and Cincinnati. In addition to DHL, more than 60 freight airlines use Leipzig/Halle Airport. The primary focus is on the Chinese market. The present schedule of flights includes six connections to China per week. The airport also cooperates with a variety of partner airports in China, such as the Shenzhen Airport Group, the Shanghai Airport Authority and the Chinese Henan Province Airport Group.

Perfectly connected – 24 hours a day

Leipzig/Halle Airport GmbH is a subsidiary company of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG. The federal state of Saxony-Anhalt is its second largest shareholder.  Opened in 1927, Leipzig/Halle Airport is one of the oldest airports in Germany. It is only since 1990, however, that decisive efforts have been made – particularly by the two federal states of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt – to make the airport in the heart of Europe into one of the most modern airports in Europe. Today, it is a mainstay of the local economy, with more than 8,600 people working at over 100 companies and public authorities that are located at the airport. And there are many reasons for the success of Leipzig/Halle as a freight airport. An important factor is the airport’s 24-hour operating permit for air freight traffic, which has allowed logistics companies and airlines to operate flexibly as part of the global market. Also of importance are the airport’s location in the heart of Europe, its excellent infrastructure and its exemplary combination of rail, road and air links. In this respect, Leipzig/Halle Airport has its own railway station for the handling of air freight. The trains operate every day, and have connected the region with ports such as Bremerhaven and Hamburg since 2016. The volume of rail freight handled exceeded 160,000 tonnes in the first year alone. The passenger and freight facilities are also connected directly with the trans-European road and rail networks.

Transhipment point for sophisticated goods

Leipzig/Halle Airport is expanding its infrastructure and services all the time.  Since last year, for example, the airport and its sister company PortGround have been operating a cold storage facility which is capable of handling full aircraft cargoes of temperature-sensitive goods. The extended range of logistics services on offer at the airport is aimed at companies operating in the pharmaceutical, food and semiconductor industries in Germany and Eastern Europe in particular. The airport in Central Germany has also made a leading international name for itself in niche segments, such as the handling of oversized air freight and chartered freight traffic, which plays a particularly important role, as well as the transport of large animals. In this respect, planes carrying up to 165 cattle take off from the airport on a regular basis, and the airport is also home to an Animal Export Centre.

Moreover, there are few other airports at which the “Antonov 225”, the biggest aircraft in the world, has made so made appearances. This giant-sized aeroplane has “swallowed up” cargoes of freight weighing up to 160 tonnes, before taking off from the airport, more than 20 times. The everyday picture at the airport also includes the Antonov 124, operated by Volga-Dnepr and Antonov Airlines. The Antonov 124 is the biggest series-production freight aircraft in the world and has been making regular visits since 2006.

In April, the German federal government announced its intention to extend the landing rights for freight aircraft at the airport. The airport is also set to receive general designation as a landing point in international aviation agreements. This would make the "LEJ" the number one airport for freight traffic in the whole of Germany. Airport Director Johannes Jähn is looking forward to this development and to welcoming more freight aircraft. "Leipzig/Halle Airport has a big advantage compared with all of its competitors: we’ve got plenty of space in which to expand and develop,” he says. And that is a major competitive advantage.

Heavy Load Logistics

Mammoet Deutschland GmbH from Leuna - Market Leader in the Field of Heavy-Duty Logistics

Mammoet Deutschland was one of the first new investments in Leuna Chemical Park. International projects are coordinated and controlled from Leuna. Holistic, intelligent logistics solutions are supplemented by the special equipment assembly and large crane services. “What makes Mammoet is realising the most efficient solution for the customer, combining the large and complex. We specialise in the assembly of major projects at home”, says the Managing Director Krawczynski. The Chemistry Industry and Refineries Account for Eighty Percent of Clients. “The setting up and installation of several 100 tonnes of heavy reactors is part of our main tasks. Only a few companies are able to build these particularly valuable plants.”

Almost everybody has seen it on television, in reports: The relocation of houses, because villages have to be evacuated, or the placing of the famous 670 m long Waldschlösschen Bridge in Dresden. An imposing structure, which is to be pushed over a flowing river and the meadows of the Elbe, at one of the widest points. Projects like this come from the team of Mammoet Deutschland GmbH, Leuna.

A team of engineers and experts in different trades, sometimes including up to 30 people, plans, measures, calculates and solves this special challenge. For example, the Leuna site has relocated the medieval fortified church, the Emmaus Church, with a weight of 800 tonnes, from Heuersdorf to Borna. The deep well of MIBRAG mbH was also dug by Mammoet, which also set a tipped-over giant excavator upright again in the surface mine.

One of the most internationally important projects is the installation of the steel protective cover around the atomic reactor at Chernobyl. The new cover made of steel comprises a surface area of 250 metres and a height of 100 metres. Under this there would be space for Notre Dame in Paris or St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. A large team of engineers, fitters, and crane drivers was occupied with just the concept for the realisation and assembly of the cover.

An interaction of theory and practice constantly yields new developments and innovations for meeting the requirements of clients cost-effectively. The employees receive special training for coping with the exceptional challenges that they face every day. This guarantees the effective and efficient transferral of knowledge. In order to also transfer some ideas arising through daily business into everyday work, as innovations, Jens Krawczynski cultivates collaborations with many research sites, especially in Saxony-Anhalt; these include Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, and Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg, but also the Technical University in Freiburg. “For us it is important that the research and development institutions remain present at the business locations and at nodes such as the chemical site. Only in this way can the knowledge transfer between business and science be ensured and our skilled personnel be retained, such as the necessary engineers at our location.”, said the Managing Director of Mammoet Deutschland GmbH with a view to his vision for the site.

“Technical practical knowledge and the technical research of the universities are to be combined in order, together, to continue to establish Saxony-Anhalt as an innovative and internationally recognised investment site.” added Krawczynski. Mammoet Deutschland GmbH in Leuna is focussing upon the leading market of chemicals, but global themes such as CO² reduction and demographic change are playing an increasingly important role. In future we will be continuing to focus upon the chemicals sector and upon the nuclear sector; the demolition of power stations is an important subject for the company.

Chemical Logistics

Since 2016, representatives from politics, the chemical industry and research from seven countries have been working together in the "ChemMultimodal" project to shift chemical goods from road to intermodal transport.

The Demand

Today, many businesses have to contend with very short-term delivery dates. Ordering an HGV to pick up the products and drive directly to the customer is often the simplest and fastest solution. For multimodal transport however, different connections have to be found and the various transport options with logistics service providers have to be discussed. In many businesses, there is little strategic planning and/or few long-term supply chain concepts that consider all modes of transport. In many cases, sales departments decide the transport connections, or those responsible for the decision-making are located in another country – or even a different continent. Under these conditions, organising multimodal transports is very difficult. As a general rule, it is also necessary to take longer transport times in comparison with road haulage into account. Punctuality and reliability are also crucial requirements for businesses. If more Combined Transport (CT) operations are to be generally achieved, the capacity levels for freight transport on the railways will also have increased over the next few years against the backdrop of the recent difficulties (the problems experienced on the line at Rastatt, the autumn storms), not to mention the current bottlenecks on the networks. In addition, the various technical standards and social parameters in the area of cross-border traffic need to be harmonised.

Despite these disadvantages however, multimodal transport offers many advantages and considerable potential. It allows for the transport of large volumes, which is particularly important for chemical businesses – and from the perspective of many businesses, this is an area in which road haulage has reached its natural limits. Traffic jams and, above all else, a lack of drivers are also considered acute problems, with no improvement seeming to be on the horizon. At the chemical parks, it is also easier to load trains and wagons in coordination with the production processes 24 hours a day, including weekends. The internal optimisation of the logistics processes within the chemical parks, including the pre-loading and intermediate storage, can contribute to a superior distribution of the logistics work and help reduce the need for stationary storage capacities. For the transporting of hazardous goods, the increased safety offered by multimodal transport is also considered a clear advantage for customers who do not benefit from a direct rail link.

Multimodal transport certainly has its strengths, especially over long distances. In technical terms, this is frequently referred to as the minimum total distance of 300 kilometres, which, in practical terms, is considered short. Moreover, a terminal is ideally located no more than 50 kilometres away from the place of loading or delivery.

There are therefore a large number of CT transit points and general links throughout Europe. This is an important prerequisite that allows companies to transport their products with flexibility according to the requirements of their customers. The logistics service providers face the challenge of bundling a variety of transports and organising the return of the containers on an efficient basis. If the aforementioned conditions described are fulfilled, multimodal transport is also competitively priced compared with road haulage. Moreover, in addition to its economic benefits, its impact on the environment is also important. On average, multimodal traffic leads to emissions of just 26 grams of carbon dioxide per tonne-kilometre, while for road haulage by HGV, the total is 62 grams. In terms of the global and national climate policy goals, this contribution should also be highlighted.

Upgrades to CT Terminals

It is before this backdrop that a major European partnership has been created between Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Italy and Slovakia which, in the form of the "ChemMultimodal" project, is making determined efforts to initiate and achieve the transfer of chemical goods from the roads to the railways. Upgrades to CT terminals are now under way in all of the participating countries. In Central Germany, the terminals in Schkopau, Leipzig-Wahren and Schwarzheide have seen a considerable expansion in their capacity in recent years, with more upgrades currently planned. Chemical parks such as Leuna have also invested heavily in their logistics infrastructure (rail links, storage capacity). This shows that the market for multimodal transport is generally developing on a positive basis.

The key activity of the project is the implementation of pilot projects in each participating country. In this respect, the project partners work directly with chemical companies and logistics service providers. In several pilot workshops, a platform for communication and cooperation has been established, where the requirements for multimodal chemical transport and the possible transport routes have been discussed in detail, and the terminal operators and providers of logistics services have been able to present their current and planned efforts regarding multimodal transport. Businesses have expressed their interest in specific routes and volumes that are currently transported by road but have the potential for moving over to the railways. The workshops have been accompanied by presentations on the development of the transport infrastructure and the public support grants which are available.

Following these events, the project partners have held bilateral discussions with interested businesses to discuss their current situation and specific supply chain requirements. At this “micro level”, it is easier for companies to talk openly about individual transport links, volumes and products. With the help of a variety of planning tools, it is possible to research possible multimodal links. In this respect, the "Intermodal Links" platform has proven to be very helpful. This platform integrates the multimodal links of 150 Intermodal service providers with some 25,000 weekly connections from 1,000 terminals. Entering the start and end destination displays a variety of multimodal transport options with the corresponding pre-carriage and post-carriage. It provides information on the terminals involved and the frequency of the connections. The information is also highly relevant and very comprehensive. In many cases, queries using the “Intermodal links” platform have enabled transport options to be found that were previously unknown to the businesses involved.

Following the discussions, the project partners discuss the recommendations on the transfer of their transport operations and – if necessary – arrange for personal contacts with the logistics service providers. This provides businesses with the opportunity to obtain a definitive offer. The businesses are 100% responsible for the negotiation and implementation phase, however. With the help of a carbon dioxide calculator which has also been developed in the scope of the "ChemMultimodal" project, the respective savings in greenhouse gas emissions can also be calculated quickly and easily for the transfer which is initiated by the business in question.

The Results So Far

The "ChemMultimodal" project partners have worked together with more than 40 chemical companies during the pilot projects and initiated specific transfers.

At the most recent pilot workshop in Central Germany, providers of logistics services and CT terminals presented the launch of several new transport links. Since the end of 2017, a new block train has been operating twice a week from Schkopau KTSK terminal via the CTHS terminal in Halle (Saale) to the port of Rostock. The link is being operated in the form of a cooperation between Deucon, Stena Lines and the Pressbahn rail company. From Rostock, the Baltic region is easily accessible via short-sea connections. In addition, since December, trains from the Belgian Lineas rail service have been making the trip from Schkopau to Antwerp three times a week. The train departs at 9:30 am and reaches its destination at 11:00 am the next day. This fast connection is especially important for the superior networking of the chemical regions in Central Germany and the Port of Antwerp in Belgium, between which a considerable number of supply relationships exist. A multimodal link with a business from Central Germany has even been identified that extends as far as Bristol in Great Britain: starting from Schkopau, the Lineas train travels to Antwerp. Its journey then continues over the canal via short sea, before continuing by train to its ultimate destination. The multimodal transport takes three days, which isn’t much longer than the journey would take by HGV.

Furthermore, since the start of the year, the DUSS terminal in Leipzig-Wahren has been operating six connections to Neuss per week. Hupac, meanwhile, has plans for the other direction: the Bertschi terminal in Schwarzheide is being upgraded as a "gateway to the east", with new connections to Iran and India having already been announced for this year. More multimodal links to Russia, China, South Korea and Vietnam are also going to be developed.

In Austria, a potential multimodal transfer has been identified that travels all the way to Turkey. In this respect, a potential CT connection runs via the terminals in Wels, Linz and Vienna, with road, rail and short sea connections all used. Alternatively, multimodal transport operations via Vienna or Sopron (Hungary) can be completed by road and rail. The transportation time for both options is five days.

Chemical companies from Slovakia have used the findings from the project to carry out the loading of tank containers right on their doorstep in Duslo Šala. This option can also be used by other companies in the Czech and Slovak chemical industries to strengthen their multimodal transport. Regular container transport operations are now under way from Slovakia and Vienna to the Benelux countries, Germany and England, while regular transport operations to France and Spain are currently being organised. In the future, the new terminal in Žilina is also to be served. The terminal in Dobra on the Slovak-Ukrainian border is used for transport operations from China to Central and Western Europe.

Supported by the ChemMultimodal pilot project, three chemical companies in the Czech Republic (Unipetrol RPA, Spolchemie and Vodnísklo) were able to achieve a growth in their multimodal transport operations of more than 15 percent in 2017. The added value of the project consists of improved communications and the creation of synergy effects between the chemical companies and providers of logistics services. The Czech Chemical Industry Association took part in the development of the freight transport concept in the interests of improving the competitiveness of the local chemical industry.

Meanwhile, a chemical company from Poland is planning a CT transport operation to central Spain, replacing the road haulage across Europe with multimodal links which begin at the terminals of Gleiwitz or Sławków in southern Poland, with the trip starting by rail to the Baltic seaports of Danzig or Gdingen before continuing by short sea to Bilbao. The journey takes between 23 and 25 days, but the company prefers this option over road haulage because of its considerably lower costs.

A chemical company from Italy is currently trying to organise a multimodal transport operation from Milan to Kiev. This transport could serve as a model for additional connections to Eastern Europe.

In Hungary, the pharmaceutical company EGIS is working on transferring transport operations from China via the port of Hamburg using a multimodal connection to a terminal in Budapest.

The Future

The results obtained so far during the intensive discussions with the chemical companies and logistics service providers show the considerable need for support in terms of communication and cooperation as well as the untapped potential for strengthening multimodal transport. The project partners will continue and consolidate their cooperation with the participating businesses until the end of the project in April 2019. After this, the support structures which have been established should then be maintained by the chemical associations and clusters that are involved.

Source: gefährliche ladung 05/2018

Automatic Returns Warehouse

The dispatch centre of Hermes Fulfilment in Haldensleben houses the world’s biggest automatic returns warehouse. And 3,000 employees handle 16,000 parts every hour. At the Haldensleben dispatch centre, a daily total of up to 40,000 boxes is delivered from all over the world. Up to 1.2 million boxes with goods are stored in the 30-metre high-bay warehouse in 61 aisles. If placed in a row, they would make a 600 kilometre long line of parcels. In the automatic returns warehouse, there is space for a million items in 30 lanes on 28 levels. The world’s biggest shuttle system with 840 shuttles can put up to 2,000 returns containers into or out of store per hour. Up to 300,000 shipments are packed, loaded, and delivered to end customers throughout Europe every day.