Kelly Drewett 
Following COVID disruption to the planned WCC schedule, there was no in-person conference in 2023. In its place, IWI hosted a series of webinars covering important waterways issues presented by experts from all over the world. The topics covered included working with partners (including volunteer organisations) to manage canals, what makes China’s Lingqu Canal unique, … Read more
A milestone in development of the European waterway network for 3000-tonne barges and push-tows was marked on Tuesday 4 October when the 36m-high Niederfinow shiplift was officially opened, on the Havel-Oder Canal.
The first vessel to pass through the new lift, with its striking architecture, was the Waterway Authority’s icebreaker Frankfurt. Barges and tankers up to 115m long can now transport cargoes between the Polish port of Szceczin and Berlin and beyond.
When we visited the site in May 2022, before attending the World Canals Conference in Leipzig, we saw that even a single-barge Polish push-tow had to split to pass through the original lift, opened in 1933, with its usable length of only 83.50m.
The World Canals Conference, held in Inverness, Scotland, from September 19th to 22nd 2022, was one of the most successful ever, judging by the reactions of more than 300 participants. The event, organised by Scottish Canals, was based around Eden Court Theatre situated on the banks of the River Ness, with an extensive range of … Read more
World Canals as a Refocus for Regeneration The World Canals Conference returned to Europe in 2022. Planned for 2020, the WCC arrived in Leipzig, Germany, this year, from 30 May to 3 June. The conference brought together waterways professionals, engineers, experts and politicians. Inland Waterways International (IWI) President Rudy Van der Ween opened the conference … Read more