Riesa port struggles with costs - new terminal to help

The inland port in Riesa has faced considerable financial challenges since the partial collapse of Dresden's Carola Bridge. "Transport costs from the Saxon ports have increased by around 30 percent," says Heiko Loroff, Managing Director of Sächsische Binnenhäfen Oberelbe GmbH (SBO). This corresponds to additional costs of up to 10,000 euros per ship for the port, which is already working at full capacity. In order to still guarantee transport, many containers would now have to be shifted to rail and transported onwards by rail.

Hope and uncertainty: a look at Dresden

"The ships used to come from the Czech Republic," says Loroff. Before the bridge collapsed, cargo ships sailed from Hamburg or Rotterdam to the Czech Republic, where they were unloaded and reloaded in the Saxon ports on the way back. This route is currently no longer possible. Instead, the journeys of many ships end in Magdeburg, from where they continue empty towards Saxony, which causes additional costs.

It is currently uncertain when Dresden will be passable again. "Of course, we hope to be able to pass through as early as February if possible, but that depends solely on the city of Dresden," emphasizes Loroff. At the end of January, the city wants to inform the SBO whether and when passage through the state capital will be possible again.

Why the expansion of the Riesa port should help

The planned expansion of the inland port in Riesa should help to better manage problems. The terminal, which was approved last year, will "replace the existing and completely overloaded, worn-out "old" trimodal terminal". It should enable simpler logistical processes, shorter distances and faster handling times. In addition, the capacities for transhipment between barge, rail and truck would be significantly increased.

In future, two electric cranes are to be used instead of the existing diesel and cable cranes. In addition, a hybrid locomotive is to replace the up to six shunting runs required with diesel locomotives per train. The aim is to make transport solutions faster, more environmentally friendly and more efficient.

Critical voices: Risks in times of climate change

However, the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) Sachsen takes a critical view of the project. Several expert reports have confirmed that the Elbe is barely navigable. In addition, the port in Riesa is at risk of flooding.

"In view of climate change, an increase in droughts is to be expected, which will mean that the Elbe will carry even less water in future," warns Felix Ekardt, Chairman of the Saxon state association. Freight transport is increasingly shifting to rail and road anyway.

However, the State Directorate of Saxony, which approved the expansion of the port last October, takes a different view. The new terminal primarily remedies deficits in the existing port's rail infrastructure, said a spokeswoman. "Any temporary impairments to the navigability of the Elbe do not change the fact that the project will remedy the rail-side deficits of the existing terminal in particular."

The SBO wants to triple the calculated capacity for economic handling with the new terminal. Loroff expects the number of containers to double over the next 20 years. Construction is scheduled to start at the end of 2026, with completion scheduled for the end of 2027.