Berlin Looks at Adopting the Utrecht Beer Boat
Like Utrecht, Berlin has many waterways that could equally benefit from the beer boat, an electrically driven freight boat delivering goods via the canals to restaurants, bars and other customers.
Under the supervision of MIMOSA’s evaluation manager at the Berlin Institute of Technology, studies are underway to see the transfer potential of Utrecht’s very successful beer boat to the centre of Berlin. With the cooperation of Berlin’s Senate Department for Urban Development, a former CIVITAS city and more recently a partner in CIVITAS CATALIST, the diploma thesis set about finding the most appropriate corridors in Greater Berlin for water-based goods distribution. Investigation on expected demand and potential customers was conducted for five different areas. Based on carefully weighted infrastructure, economic and transport related arguments, the Spree area in the heart of Berlin was selected. Pilot area interviews with potential customers have already been conducted. In December 2011, a presentation of the final results together with support from the various partners will hopefully stimulate further discussion about the introduction of an innovative water-based freight transport in Berlin.
Author: Dziekan Katrin
