In the 25 years of existence, the offshore wind market has developed on many aspects. Among others, the dimension of the turbines increased by a factor 15 and the distance to shore increased by a factor of 50. The developments of the offshore wind farms increase the requirements for the installation vessels and as a consequence the present day rates can be up to $300.000. The global potential of the offshore wind market by the year 2030 is forecasted to be 60 GW for Europe and 22GW for the US Atlantic coast. The developments in the market, lead to demands during the construction of offshore wind turbines. The construction phase became more demanding over the years, while the logistical strategy of sailing back and forth to the offshore wind farm with a jack-up vessel, is similar as applied in 1991. The six demands can be fulfilled by performing four required activities at the offshore port. The potential of seven support structures that fulfil the boundary conditions for the offshore port are determined. Important boundary conditions are a maximum vertical load of 12.600 ton, suitability in a water depth range between 30 and 50 meter and a minimum surface area of 17.500 m2. Besides boundary conditions that have to be fulfilled, there are also maximum allowed conditions that determine the workability of a port concept. For a floating port concept the motion response is the leading workability condition. Based on the mobility, motion response and a cost indication, three port concepts are selected. These port concepts are a single barge, a single jack-up barge and a combination of a small jack-up barge and a single barge. The current logistical strategy for construction of an offshore wind farm is compared to various logistical concepts that include an offshore port. The logistical concept with a feeder vessel that sails from the onshore to the offshore port and an installation vessel that sails between the offshore port and the wind farm has the highest potential saving. Taking into account the assumptions made throughout this research, for each executed project by the offshore port the savings are expected to be €23.000.000. These savings consist of a sooner generation of energy and by savings on the construction of an offshore wind farm. The discounted cash flows for the three port concepts shows a potential for the offshore port concept. The net present value of the three offshore port concepts deviates between 52 and 216 million euro. The financial results are most sensitive to the ratio between wind farm capacity and the turbine capacity, also the market share that is interest in applying the offshore port and the day rate of the vessels. When the offshore wind market follows the tendency of developments of the last years, there is a market potential for an offshore port concept to reduce the construction costs. The main recommendations are to analyse the interest of potential port owners, perform a motion response into more detail and validate the financial assumptions.

The world population is growing and therewith facing a lot of problems, such as a growing energy demand and climate change. These problems force society to make a transition, from a system driven by fossil raw materials to a sustainability-based system. Hydrogen can play a part in shifting from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy flows, as a renewable energy carrier, to decrease the CO2 emissions. However, the major obstacle of hydrogen use is the low volumetric energy density at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Therefore, hydrogen must be compressed, liquefied or attached to a carrier to use it for storage or transportation purposes. The most cost-effective method to import hydrogen is yet unknown, and therefore a better understanding of the costs of the hydrogen supply chains are essential. The objective of this research is to: (1) understand the different costs for each individual element of the supply chain, (2) design a hydrogen supply chain that integrates the individual elements into a single framework to be able to compare the different carriers to each other and (3) create a more profound perspective on the investment decisions for a hydrogen import terminal. A case study for the port of Rotterdam is performed to validate the operation of the general supply chain for a specific case, resulting in a more in-depth understanding of the import terminal. This research covers four hydrogen carriers: ammonia, MCH, liquid- and gaseous hydrogen. The answer for objective one, is that for ammonia and MCH the import terminal costs are the highest, for liquid hydrogen the conversion plant costs and for gaseous hydrogen the transport costs. The hydrogen costs for ammonia, MCH and liquid hydrogen decreases as long as the demand increases, up until an amount of 500,000 t/y, whereby for gaseous hydrogen this decline holds for values beyond this amount as well. In general, for distances up to 3,500 nm gaseous hydrogen is preferred and for intermediate to long distance ammonia. The discrepancy in costs between ammonia, MCH and liquid hydrogen is almost negligible. Regarding the second objective, it can be stated that it makes no difference when choosing one carrier, or the other at ammonia, MCH and liquid hydrogen for intermediate to long distances. To conclude, the optimal hydrogen import supply chain for the estimated demand of Rotterdam is obtained from gaseous hydrogen exported from Tunisia with a cost price of 2.3 €/kg.

This research is about the effects by climate change on the inland shipping sector of low discharges in the River Waal. Two different situations are investigated, one without any measure and one with canalization of the river. These two situations are compared with a zero variant where no navigation restrictions occur and therefore a so- called reference situation is also investigated. The focus is on the direct costs for the inland shipping sector due to navigation restrictions caused by insufficient water depth and canalization. Besides, the more integral picture is taken into account by the total costs due to canalization, which consist of the shipping costs due to canalization and the weir- and lock complex costs. For studying the effects of the different developments on the inland shipping sector an effect model is developed, validated and used. The consequences in case of several scenarios for this canalization option are investigated to get insight in the range of possible outcomes. The scenario analysis shows that the shipping costs for all scenario combinations are lower in case of canalization than in case without any measure. Looking to the more integral picture, the total costs due to canalization are only in case of the most extreme climate scenario lower than the shipping costs in case without any measure. For all other scenarios, the total costs due to canalization are much higher. During the sensitivity analysis, the total costs due to canalization for various weir- and lock complex costs are investigated. The result is shown in the figure alongside to here. For total weir- and lock complex costs below 400 million Euro the feasibility of Waal canalization is quite high, which means that for many scenario combinations the costs due to canalization are lower than the costs in case without measure. However, for WLC costs between 400 million Euro and 900 million Euro the feasibility decreases to 20%. It is expected that 1000 million Euro is quite large for one complex and therefore it is assumed that a feasibility of at least 20% is reached.

This study analyzes the financial impact of design guidelines used in the development of agribulk terminals and sets out to quantify the effect of uncertain throughput projections on a terminal’s business case. This was done through the use of a purposely-built computer model that translates traffic projections into a terminal design in an automated fashion. The allowable waiting time for vessels calling at the terminal has proven to be the design guideline that has the highest influence regarding project feasibility. The allowable waiting time was optimized by monetizing the negative consequences of long waiting times at the terminal using demurrage rates. Existing guidelines state that bulk terminal investments are typically based on maintaining an average ratio of waiting time to service time between 20% to 30%. However, results from the computer model show that, if a terminal were to incorporate the notion of demurrage rates into its business model, waiting times could be allowed to rise to 70% of berth service time, unlocking significant project value. Furthermore, by automating the translation of traffic projections into terminal designs, the financial repercussions of the uncertainty surrounding such projections becomes quantifiable. By simulating the project value of a terminal under varying economic scenarios, the user is shown how a spread is possible traffic development results in a certain spread in project value. The final aspect that has been analyzed within this study is the financial impact of modelling a terminal based on perfect foresight, a presumption that the traffic projections on which investments are based will always come true. Results show that modelling a terminal is such a manor overestimates a project’s value. Depending on the size of the project and the market’s volatility, this over-estimation is in the range of 3% (steady market growth) to 20% (volatile markets). An alternative modelling method has been developed which bases investment decisions on forecasted traffic volumes, which are updated as a simulation progresses. This forecast method slightly lowers over-estimation of project value by several percentage points.

Port planning is a complex multidisciplinary subject. To fulfill its functions, it is essential that the different elements of a port work together. The full potential of a terminal can only be reached when the wet infrastructure of a port (access channel, inner basins, turning circles) can keep up with the traffic load. From the literature study, it has become apparent that simulation tools have become increasingly popular for assessing the capacity of ports and waterways. However, the application has often been aimed at a specific case study and the existing models are not easily reusable for new applications. In this master thesis project, the assessment through a generic simulation tool of the effective capacity of the wet infrastructure of a port is investigated. The model considers the processes taking place from the point a vessel arrives at the entrance of the access channel until the start of the (un)loading procedures and the departure of the port until exiting the access channel. The analysis capabilities of the model are demonstrated by studying the Port of Hazira. The main processes of the model relate to vessels obtaining authorisation to sail towards a destination. To receive this authorisation, the vessels must find a moment when the correct weather conditions occur, the tidal elevation is adequate, the waterways are available and sufficient quay length is available. The authorisation is given in a dynamic way, depending on the dimensions of the vessels, waterways and quays. Based on their origin and destination, vessels can determine their route based on the shortest path available and waterways available depending on their vessel type. Once this is done, a vessel will construct a sailing plan by finding a suitable timeslot to through each section of the port. When doing so, a vessel takes into account the sailing plans of other vessels and the sailing rules that apply for each section. As a result, a vessel can construct a suitable sailing plan based on an origin and destination which can be applied to any port layout. During this study, it has become apparent that many processes should be included to properly determine the capacity of port. Simulation software offers the possibility of including all these processes and observe their interactions in order to locate bottlenecks more efficiently. Simio has proven to be able to incorporate all the required process to properly model the wet infrastructure of a port. However, it does not offer a user-friendly interface to handle different scenarios and facilitate the handling of both the input and output of the model. To this easier, an interface has been created with Scenario Navigator. This interface enable the storing and comparing of input parameters and results of different scenarios.

The inland ports play an important role in the Dutch transport system, but it will undergo changes as a result of the societal changes in demand for services and goods and the changes in hydraulic conditions. The inland port has to adapt to these developments in order to reduce the threats and to increase the opportunities, but this requires adaptations to the current infrastructure or services. It is preferred to know the opportunities and threats beforehand, so that the inland port can already adapt to these projected changes ahead of time. This research focussed on the development of a method to assess the future-proofness of a Dutch inland port in the period up to 2050, result in the following main research question: What method can be provided to assess the future-proofness of an inland port in The Netherlands until 2050 with regard to the current port activities? The first step of this research was focussed on defining future-proofness of an inland port. An investigation into literature on the definition of future-proofness resulted in the following definition of the future-proof inland port: A future-proof inland port remains useful and successful in the transfer of goods, the storage of goods and facilitating industrial processes for the production of cargo in the future and is flexible enough in port services and infrastructure to deal with potential changes. Subsequently, the activities of various inland port were analysed, resulting in thirteen main port activities in the inland port. In combination with the identified port indicators, the port characteristics of each inland port can be determined. In the final step before the set-up of the method, more insights is obtained about the uncertainties in long-term developments and the related methods to deal with these uncertainties. In the end, it was found out that trend-based narratives can be used for this assessment, because this new method reflects the threats and opportunities for different port activities for specific inland ports. The obtained knowledge about future-proofness, the port activities and the uncertainties in long-term developments were used to set-up of a method to assess the future-proofness of the inland port, which exists of four different parts:•Part 1: Determination of the current inland port’s strengths & weaknesses (port characteristics)•Part 2: Determination of the port specific opportunities and threats (impacts)•Part 3: Determination of the flexibility of the specific inland port•Part 4: Assessment of the future-proofness of the specific inland port The applicability of this method was demonstrated through three case studies, in which the future-proofness of three existing inland ports is assessed. These case studies were the inland ports of Bergen op Zoom, Oosterhout and Wageningen. For these three case studies, the inland port of Wageningen seems very future-proof. It scores good on the current port characteristics, the impacts and the flexibility. The other two inland ports are still considered to be future-proof, although they might face some (minor) challenges in order to become future-proof. Overall, it is concluded that the generated method can be used to assess the future-proofness of the inland ports. It presents a first insight in the degree of future-proofness of the inland ports and can be used as a starting point to improve the performance of the inland port in the future and thereby becoming future-proof.

Zutphen is a city in the Netherlands, located along the IJssel River and the nautical access of the Twentekanaal. Despite its beneficial location, Zutphen barely uses the inland waterways for freight transport. This lead to the objective of this thesis: To provide insight how a viable inland waterway terminal be realized in Zutphen’s business park De Mars to improve its freight connection. After analysing the regional and local infrastructure and transport flows, it was found that the best opportunities arise for the development of an intermodal inland waterway transport (IWT) connection, including an inland container terminal in Zutphen. A reliable intermodal transport service can only be realized if the terminal operator has access to a sufficient and constant flow of cargo volumes to be transported. Cargo can only be attracted if shippers are willing to make a modal change. A framework consisting of several analyses was presented to assess the feasibility of an inland container terminal in Zutphen. Based on input from these analyses, three technical designs of proposed terminal solutions were worked out. A terminal solution is considered to be feasible if a business can be found for a private investor. For each of these alternatives, a financial assessment was worked out to determine whether a business case can be found. Based on the results of the financial assessment, a recommendation is given to the municipality.

The inland waters of Ghana have a considerable potential for the operation of inland water transport (IWT) services. These services could be part of a multimodal transport corridor, to connect the northern regions and the northern landlocked countries with the industrial southern part of the country, which also includes the port of Tema, one of the gateways of the landlocked countries. However, despite the many advantages of IWT, these waters are currently barely used for freight transportation. The absence of a high quality IWT service is mainly unfortunate, as Ghana suffers from the consequences of the unilateral road transport market: the many trucks leads to congestions, traffic hazards and long (and unreliable) transport times. Besides this, the freight transportation by road is rather expensive. An IWT service on the Ghanaian inland waters could be able to improve the cost and time performances of the Ghanaian transit corridor. The Ghanaian inland waters are mainly formed by Lake Volta and the upstream Volta Rivers. The water levels of these waters are subject to the local climate, which results in (very) low water levels during the dry season (from November to July). The water levels of Lake Volta allow year round navigation, but that does not hold for the Volta Rivers. In fact, Buipe Port, along the Black Volta, is probably the most upstream location that can be reached for most part of the year, while a year round accessibility can be guaranteed after dredging a shoal, a bit downstream of the port. The potential container market for the IWT service is quite small, being about 8,000 TEUs per year. Nearly all these containers are currently transported by road from Tema Port to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Due to the congestions and (bad) conditions of roads and trucks, the northbound journey (about 1,000 km) takes about four days. The corresponding price for transport is also very high, being about USD 2,600 for a 20 ft. container. The only commercial IWT service at Lake Volta, is not able to deliver better performances, due to bad and inappropriate equipment. The feasibility of three different IWT services is investigated: roll-on/roll-off of truck/trailer combinations or roll trailers on the one hand, and lift-on/lift-off of containers on the other hand. All the alternatives are based on the concept of barges being pushed by push tugs, as this is the most promising concept from a financial point of view. It can be concluded that the potential transit container market of 8,000 TEU/year, for which the IWT service has to compete for, is too small to result in a profitable service. However, when relocating the transit traffic (clearance) procedures from Tema Port to Buipe Port, the yearly container throughput via Lake Volta will be much higher, making an IWT service viable and profitable. Besides, this relocation will result in extra space in the port of Tema, and can result in more efficient clearance procedures, thereby decreasing the total door-to-door time of transit traffic.

Mercurius Shipping Group invested in two container-crane vessels which are able to load and unload cargo to and from its holds. Due to their unique feature, the crane, failure of the vessels results in large financial consequences. Previous experience showed that these costs could be mitigated with easily/timely available spare-parts. The main aim of this study was to increase the reliability of Mercurius Shipping Group's container-crane vessel MKS Mercurius by proposing an optimized spare-part inventory. Subsequently, by doing so, reducing the total costs of operating and maintaining the vessel and ensuring profit maximization for MSG. Cost models have been developed to quantify the reduction in financial risk of failures, by having spare-parts directly available, and to determine the costs of keeping a spare-part inventory. As a result a list of spare-parts is proposed based on a comparison between the reduced failure impact/costs (benefit), with a spare-part in inventory, and the corresponding annual inventory costs. The results showed that a cost-effective improvement to vessel reliability, due to a decrease in vessel downtime, can be achieved with direct availabiltiy of spare-parts kept in inventory. Currently equipped with two container-crane vessel the optimum inventory consists of 13 components, requiring an investment of €50,000 and leading to an improvement to the vessels financial performance of €13,000 per year. In case MSG decides to relocate one of the container-crane vessels, the impact of failure increases. In this case the recommended inventory should be expanded to 28 components, requiring an investment of €137,000 and leading to an improvement to the vessels financial performance of €55,000 per year.