The dry port concept as a tool for a sustainable seaport inland access

Paper in proceeding, 2010

Environmental problems have received increasing attention during the last decade and with them also the role that logistics systems can play in reducing the environmental impact; however, logistics concepts in the role of decreasing environmental impacts have not been extensively researched until recently. One of these concepts is a concept of dry port, which is the focus of this paper. The purpose of this paper is to define the dry port concept and to develop the same through identification of its impacts as well as factors that influence the implementation of the concept. The dry port concept is based on a seaport directly connected by rail to inland intermodal terminals, where shippers can leave and/or collect their goods in intermodal loading units as if directly at the seaport. With dry port implementation CO2 emissions should decrease, queues and long waiting times at seaport terminals should be avoided, and the risk of road accidents should reduce. Besides the general benefits to the ecological environment and the quality of life by shifting flows from road to rail, the dry port concept increases the seaports’ throughput without physical port expansion. It also brings a competitive advantage to a seaport since it improves the seaport’s access to areas outside its traditional hinterland. This is closely related to regional development that results from the establishment of new businesses in the area once the necessary logistics infrastructure is in place, by means of dry ports. Although the concept of a dry port should bring numerous benefits to the actors of the transport system, there are still many impediments to the implementation of the same; land use, infrastructure and institutional impediments are identified as the most common. Therefore, a dry port must fit into the transport system where regulations are designed to optimize the use as well as the development of existing infrastructure and its belonging modes of transport.