It is now hoped that locks on the Kiel Canal in Brunsbuettel will be “operationally secure” again by year’s end.
This will follow the renewal, repair or replacement of some of the facilities which broke down in March, closing the busy North Sea-Baltic waterway.
Thomas Fischer, a leading official with the shipping and waterway authority WSA in Brunsbuettel, told Maritime Journal Lock Gate 111 was already back in position after repair and renovation in Kiel by Nobiskrug Werft, costing €1.5m. The 46.8m long, 8.85m wide and 20.6m high gate was floated down the canal from Kiel with the aid of tugs and pontoons.
Nobiskrug’s Denise Hein said the yard had renovated five lock gates from Brunsbuettel since 2003 and that tenders had already been invited for similar work on Gate 11. Mr Fischer said same price tenders were planned for all other lock gates. Brunsbuettel has two 310m long and 42m wide main locks as well as two smaller ones of 125m length and 20.5m width.
Mr Fischer said that by year’s end one big lock and the two smaller locks would be operating in Brunsbuettel. He also noted that because of damage and track renovation work on the two big locks in Kiel, at the other end of the 100 kms long canal, only one big lock and one small lock would be operating there from August. Reports said that work would last until November. That is expected to result in further delays to shipping.
However, in Brunsbuettel an optimistic Mr Fischer told MJ: “Although there is no 100% guarantee, we are very hopeful that locks will be ‘operationally secure’ again by the end of the year.”
The main reason for optimism, he said, was not the renovated lock gates themselves but the fact that work was underway for completion by year’s end on other things that could go wrong on the 100 year old units.
He mentioned the repair or replacement of driving mechanisms, tracks, gate tops and the foundations of lock entrances gates, all designed to prevent, or reduce, breakdowns or disruptions.
“If everything works the way our engineers have planned then we should have stability for many years, at least until the completion of new locks”, said Mr Fischer.
That is a reference to Brunsbuettel’s planned new €375m Lock 5, due for completion in 2020, after which the complete renovation of the other locks is planned. Tenders for Lock 5 are now under study and construction will start next year.
The March closure of the canal, described as a catastrophe, has resulted in a drop in ships and cargo in the first half of 2013 from 17,351 ships and 52.3m tons to 15,940 ships and 48.8m tons.
By Tom Todd
