Green Deliriver, an innovative waterway solution for urban logistics
All the solutionsPresentation
- Project initiators: Segula Technologies et GRDF
- Partners: le Chantier Naval de la Seine et Oise, GPS&O, HAROPA Ports de Paris, Saint-Gobain Distribution Bâtiment France, Syctom, TOTAL et VNF
- Duration of the project: Pilote unit in 2020
- Cost of the project: 3 M€ for the prototype building
Context of how the project emerged:
With the explosion of e-commerce, the logistics needs, related to the delivery of packages, are increasing. But road transport – the world’s second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide – is expected to be significantly reduced in the near future. The River must be used for sustainable urban logistics.
Strategy and objectives
The Green Deliriver Shuttle is a river boat project, equipped with a biogas / electric hybrid engine with an autonomous handling system. The shuttle will deliver goods to the heart of Paris, and then at the return, it will evacuate the waste to treatment centers in the periphery.
This project has several aims:
- Transport goods from the urban periphery to the heart of Paris through the Seine.
- Decongest cities by delivering packages through autonomous and electric conveyors directly to the door of SMEs
- Develop waterways transport
- Reduce heavy truck traffic and CO2 emissions
- Ensure deliveries until the last kilometer, which is the most polluting
The project’s innovative characteristics
Environnemental
This project is based on a concept of urban logistics – “reverse logistic” – exploiting the river system. Biogas and electricity have been favored to reduce the pollution of the atmosphere and noise. This shuttle boat will rely on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) stations located along the length of the river and supplied with natural gas from the GRDF-operated network.
Technical
The boat is equipped with a conveyor, in the form of a semi-autonomous electrical module (who can evolve towards a 100% autonomy) to facilitate last mile deliveries. An escalator system makes it possible to unload the goods without the need for a crane and the conveyor module can pass easily from the platform to a truck or even to a tram or a TER.
In addition, the ship has been designed from composite materials to lighten the shell. It has been specially designed to optimize hydrodynamics, but also for a better integration in the urban environment, which is essential in touristic areas.
How can this project be duplicated on other rivers?
This project can be put into operation in large cities, who want to reduce road transport, and develop waterway transport.
#Seine #Transport #River #Cleanenergy
Credit photo: GRDF/Segula Technologies