Eco-friendly sea transport from Bremen to Venezuela

DHL first company to use ocean-going cargo vessel with wind propulsion system
Shipping becomes safer, more profitable and more eco-friendly

The MS Beluga SkySails, the world's first cargo vessel with the innovative SkySails towing kite system, is being used for a commercial transport for the first time. It will carry the first parts of a complete particle board factory from Bemen to Venezuela on behalf of DHL Global Forwarding, the ocean and air freight carrier of the Deutsche Post World Net Group.

The multipurpose vessel will set sail early next week. What makes it so special is a new wind propulsion system with a huge towing kite that provides additional thrust for the ship at sea - a sustainable solution for reducing fuel consumption, costs and emissions.

First-rate quality

MS Beluga SkySails with the innovative towing kite system.

DHL will transport the particle board factory to South America for its client, Dieffenbacher, in a total of eight partial shipments. It is to be used for a government-sponsored housing project.

Claus Krüger, director at DHL Global Forwarding and responsible for the Project Group Germany, says: "Besides offering our customers first-rate quality in ocean and air freight transports, we are always mindful of the increased need for sustainable logistics solutions. The Beluga SkySails is a forward-looking example of how to implement low-emission ocean freight transports. The promising environmental aspects of the new SkySails System were a major factor in our decision for this charter."

For several years now, DHL has made it its business to provide customers not only with first-class service but sustainable transport solutions as well. In its endeavours to develop efficient and eco-friendly logistic services with the latest technologies, the group was the first logistics company to cluster its innovation activities, giving top priority to climate protection.

Today its business customers in Europe can already send their shipments with the climate-neutral GoGreen Service. The company is also increasingly using alternative propulsion systems such as biogas and electric motors.

Wind is cheaper than oil

The MS Beluga SkySails tied up in Bremen's Neustädter Harbour.

On 15th December 2007, the MS Beluga SkySails was christened in Hamburg by Eva Luise Köhler, wife of Germany's Federal President. The so-called "multipurpose heavy-lift carrier" belongs to the fleet of Bremen shipping company Beluga Shipping GmbH.

The ship is based on the simple principle that wind is cheaper than oil and, at sea, the most inexpensive and cleanest source of energy. The wind propulsion system, which features a towing kite measuring up to 320 square metres, was developed by the Hamburg firm SkySails and can now be used on ocean-going vessels for the first time.

Depending on the wind conditions, fuel costs can be lowered by between ten and 35 percent. A small, 87-metre-long freighter would thus save an average of 280,000 euros in fuel costs per year.

The MS Beluga SkySails tied up in Bremen's Neustädter Harbour at noon on Friday. DHL Global Forwarding immediately began loading the freighter with parts of the factory supplied by Dieffenbacher, which is based in Eppingen, Baden-Württemberg. Krüger: "In its first partial shipment, the vessel is transporting about 10,000 freight tons from Bremen to Guanta, Venezuela. The route across the Atlantic will take a good two weeks."

DHL first company to use ocean-going cargo vessel with wind propulsion system.

The crew of Beluga captain Lutz Heldt has been undergoing intensive training for the voyage in the last few months, including the handling of the auxiliary wind propulsion system. Heldt is thus confident: "Besides making transoceanic transport safer, the new auxiliary propulsion system also makes it more profitable and eco-friendly: depending on the wind conditions, we're expecting a fuel saving of between ten and 20 percent - assuming wind conditions are favourable."

DHL Global Forwarding director Krüger: "With the Beluga SkySails' first-ever commercial voyage, DHL - the biggest logistics company on the planet - is again playing a pioneering role in using innovative technologies and sustainable logistics - an aspect that is becoming increasingly important to our customers."

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January 11

China to Germany train link to speed up cargo transport

China to Germany train link to speed up cargo transport

11 January 2008 Cargonewsasia

China and five other nations are to co-operate on a train link between Asia and Europe that would speed up cargo transport and allow goods to be delivered twice as quickly as by sea.

China, Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany signed an agreement on January 9 that will speed up transport of goods and cargo between Asia and China and halve current travelling time by sea.

The treaty aims to simplify Customs and border checks.

Zheng Mingli, chairman of China Railway Container Transport said a scheduled container train should be shuttling between China and Germany in a year's time.

The route, which will link Beijing and Hamburg, is expected to boost trade and cargo flows between the two continents and would allow goods to be delivered in a record 18 days. Currently, delivery of cargo by sea between the two destinations takes about 40 days.

A test container train carrying a load of Chinese goods, including electrical appliances, clothes, shoes and ceramic tiles, rolled out of Beijing on Wednesday and is expected to arrive in Hamburg in 18 days.

The train will travel through the Mongolian Republic and the Trans Siberian railway via Belarus and Poland before making its way to the port city of Hamburg.

Flagging off the test cargo train in Beijing, Hartmut Mehdorn, CEO of German rail Deutsche Bahn, said the transport axis between Asia and Europe has never been more important in light of booming economic growth in Asia and Russia.

He said the investments would in the long-term pay off for Germany's economy.

German train technology is already well known in China. China currently operates the world's only commercial German-built MAGLEV line, which runs 30 km from Shanghai's airport to the financial centre in Pudong district. The train travels at up to 430 km per hour.

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北京－汉堡国际集装箱示范列车正式发车

北京－汉堡国际集装箱示范列车正式发车
　　2008年01月09日 16:47:36 　来源：新华网
　　新华网北京１月９日电（记者齐中熙）９日下午３点，北京－汉堡国际集装箱示范列车发车仪式在北京大红门火车站举行。北京－汉堡国际集装箱示范列车的开行标志着亚欧国家铁路间联手推动国际集装箱联运事业又取得了新的突破。
　　
　　本趟列车由中
　　国铁路组织开行、中铁集装箱运输有限责任公司全程代理，列车的开行得到了沿途各国政府和铁路部门的支持。本趟列车编组为４９辆平车，装运集装箱９８ＴＥＵ（标准箱）。列车从北京出发，途经中国、蒙古、俄罗斯、白俄罗斯、波兰，最终到达德国汉堡，全程运行９７８０公里，预计运行时间为１８天。
　　
　　近年来，亚欧两大洲的经贸交流不断拓展，北京－汉堡国际集装箱列车的组织开行将进一步促进亚欧经济合作和贸易往来，为沿途各国提供更加安全、便捷、经济的国际集装箱联运服务。这趟列车的成功开行，是亚欧国家铁路间联手推动国际集装箱联运事业的一次新突破，是中国铁路与沿途国家铁路务实合作的新成果。
　　
　　发车仪式后，中国、蒙古、俄罗斯、白俄罗斯、波兰和德国铁路部门有关负责人举行了会谈，就扩大亚欧铁路运输合作、组织开行中国－欧洲集装箱列车问题签署了合作备忘录。

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January 02

这就是BRT公交啊，请到什么时候开通啊

组图：江苏省内首条快速公交线在常州开通

http://news.QQ.com　 2008年01月02日07:53 　

常州快速公交站台（2007年12月30日摄）。

2008年1月1日，江苏省内首条快速公交线在常州正式开通。快速公交利用现代公交技术，在城市开辟公交专用道，配合智能交通系统技术，采用轨道交通的运营管理模式，是介于轨道交通和常规交通之间的新型地面公交运输系统。新华社发（唐磊摄）

国内首条

常州新型快速公交车（2007年12月29日摄）。新华社发（唐磊摄）

2008年1月1日上午,全程长23.77公里的常州市快速公交一号线开通运行。

该项目是江苏省内首条快速公交线路。专用道设置在道路中央,车站在专用道两侧,车辆使用右开门形式，成为国内第一条"中央侧式站台"公交项目。（中国网）

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