Disappointing Statistics for the North Baltic Canal Throughout History
The Kiel Canal, a vital waterway connecting the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, has witnessed a decrease in ship passages over the past decade. Jens-Broder Knudsen, chairman of the Initiative Kiel Canal, recently reported a drop of up to ten percent in ship passages, with only 25,000 ships passing through the canal in 2022, a figure not seen since 1945.
Several factors are believed to be contributing to this decline. One of the main concerns is the size of the ships using the canal. Modern container ships and bulk carriers have grown significantly larger than the Kiel Canal's locks can accommodate, leading to a decrease in the number of ships using the canal.
Additionally, alternative maritime routes may have become more economically viable due to changes in fuel prices, shipping demand, trade flows, or geopolitical considerations. Some cargoes might be routed over land or via ports that avoid canal tolls or delays.
Increased use and efficiency of rail freight or road transport in Europe can also reduce the need for short sea shipping routes involving the Kiel Canal. Moreover, new environmental and safety regulations may impact shipping patterns, leading some vessels to avoid the canal if compliance is costly or operationally challenging.
Reliability is another significant factor in the decision to use the Kiel Canal. According to Jan Klein of UCA United Canal Agency, unpredictability can deter shipowners from choosing the canal. The canal's traffic statistics are still being analyzed by the GDWS, and the evaluation of the annual balance for the Kiel Canal is delayed until the end of February 2023.
Despite these challenges, the planned expansion of the canal and the lifting of the current speed limit are expected to make the canal more attractive to shipowners, as stated by Jens-Broder Knudsen. However, a three-month closure of a lock chamber in Brunsbüttel is threatened from May due to the need to renew rails for the gate trolley of a sliding gate.
The Kiel Canal's pilotage fees are calculated based on the size of the ships, and the work to repair the damaged areas of the canal is progressing. The presentation of all traffic data for the Kiel Canal, including quantities of goods transported and the size of the ships, is eagerly awaited.
Shipbrokers Sartori & Berger and UCA United Canal Agency have also reported a decrease in ship passages, echoing the findings of Jens-Broder Knudsen. As the Kiel Canal continues to adapt to changing global shipping patterns, it remains a crucial waterway connecting Europe's north and south, and efforts are underway to ensure its continued importance in the global shipping industry.
References:
[1] Kieler Nachrichten. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.kieler-nachrichten.de/ [2] The Kiel Canal. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.kiel-kanal.de/en/the-kiel-canal/
The decrease in ship passages through the Kiel Canal could be due to the incompatibility of modern, larger ships with the canal's locks, thus leading to a shift in business towards other maritime routes that are more economically viable or avoid tolls and delays. Moreover, the expansion of the canal and the lifting of the speed limit, as planned, might make the canal more attractive to finance-conscious shipowners, countering this decline.
