Inland waterways and ports – studies, works or mixed

The objective is to develop inland waterways transport infrastructure projects on the TEN-T core network.

Studies and / or works on inland waterways related to:

• upgrade of waterways and related infrastructure such as locks and weirs/dams in order to achieve stable or improved navigation conditions, performance and/or more capacity for the passage of vessels or to ensure good navigation status;
• creation of new waterways and related infrastructure (locks, weirs/dams, bridges);
• construction/lifting/upgrading of locks and movable bridges, to improve the passage of vessels and convoys;
• automation of waterway infrastructure (e.g. locks, weirs/dams, bridges) to improve its operation and monitoring;
• increasing of under-bridge clearance;
• ensuring year-round navigability e.g. by means of hydrological services, ice-breaking facilities and capital dredging;
• waterside infrastructure including the creation and/or upgrade of infrastructure for mooring and waterborne operations along a waterway and/or shoreside electricity installations. This waterside infrastructure can also concern transhipment sites located along the inland waterways of the TEN-T network which are not included in Annex II of the revised TEN-T Regulation (EU), limited to infrastructure enabling ship to shore loading/unloading and shoreside electricity;
• interconnection between inland waterways and maritime transport.

Studies and/or works on TEN-T core inland ports related to:

• access, including safe access through navigational aids, of inland ports to inland waterways;
• basic and water-side infrastructure in inland ports, including shore-side electricity supply;
• port reception facilities for oil and other waste (including residues from exhaust gas cleaning systems) and infrastructure for degassing vessels to meet environmental requirements;
• providing or improving rail access to, and connections within, inland ports. Road access and connections to/within inland ports will not be supported;
• ensuring year-round navigability by means of e.g. hydrological services, ice-breaking facilities and dredging of the port and port approaches.

Any internal service road, maintenance road, access road, etc., from/to/on quays, berths, terminals, rail yards, or any other location within the inland port, even if needed for the Action implementation, will not be supported.

Works projects may include on-site renewable energy generation as a synergetic element in accordance with Section 10.6 of the Work Programme, such as grid connections from the port to the grid outside of the port needed for the shore-side electricity supply, photovoltaic power plants, wind turbines etc. that is primarily used for example for the shore-side electricity supply, for the need of the basic port infrastructure and for diverse port operations. Such synergetic elements must improve the socio-economic, climate or environmental benefits of the project and may not exceed 20% of the total eligible costs of the project.

Waterside infrastructure development projects means infrastructure that enhances the navigability capacity in the inland waterways section of the revised TEN-T Regulation or improves the multimodal connection of waterborne transport operations. This excludes infrastructure that does not directly benefit waterborne transport operations.

Elements of storage, transhipment facilities and equipment may be included in a project benefiting inland waterway transport only if they are fully integrated in, and a minor part of the infrastructure investment project. These projects should not aim to focus on storing and transhipment facilities and equipment, but rather on the transport infrastructure.

Support will not be given to infrastructure dedicated for cruise ships, except as regards shore-side electricity supply.

Hinterland connections to the inland ports are covered by the respective transport mode priorities but may be part of a single project (for instance a project improving the rail access both within and outside the port area). Projects combining hinterland access both within and outside the port area may be submitted either to the inland port or to the maritime port/rail topics as appropriate.

In accordance with Article 9(2), point (a)(i) of the CEF Regulation, projects addressing the core network may include related elements on the comprehensive network, when necessary to optimize the investment. These elements may form up to 10% of the total eligible costs of the project and should be presented as a separate work package.

Facilities and infrastructure supported under CEF must be accessible for use by all operators on a non-discriminatory basis.