BASF Germany Starts Construction on Intermodal Terminal Revamp Worth Over €100 Million

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 17, BASF Germany launched the expansion and equipment renewal project for its rail-road intermodal terminal, with a total investment in the low hundreds of millions of euros. The German federal government has provided nearly €51 million in funding. The project will update the two oldest loading modules in the terminal, with overall completion planned for 2028.

The renovation involves the M10 and M20 loading modules, which have been in continuous operation since 2000. These two facilities will be dismantled and consolidated into a new M50 module. The existing four cranes will be replaced by three large rail-mounted gantry cranes, with provisions reserved for the installation of a fourth unit. Supporting works include the removal of existing tracks, crane runways, and traffic areas, as well as the construction of new cargo storage areas, vehicle operating zones, power supply, communications, compressed air systems, and associated operational buildings.

According to the project's technical documents, each new crane will have a total span of approximately 100 meters, covering nine passable tracks, with a lifting zone of about 700 meters in length. The equipment will have a standard handling capacity of 41 tons and can handle special cargo weighing up to 75 tons. Each crane will perform at least 25 handling operations per hour under real operating conditions. The cranes will feature remote operation and partial automation, with the main equipment scheduled for installation between the third quarter of 2027 and the first quarter of 2028.

The renovation plan also addresses changes in the European intermodal market, including the growing share of semi-trailers, longer freight trains, and increased demand for storage and buffer space. Upon completion, the terminal's handling area will be consolidated from the current three modules into two, simplifying cargo transshipment between different rail lines. The terminal will remain operational during construction, though some areas may be subject to phased usage restrictions. The specific construction phases and operational adjustments will be determined separately by the operator.

The intermodal terminal covers approximately 260,000 square meters, featuring 13 loading tracks and eight gantry cranes with a height of about 20 meters, with an annual handling capacity of up to approximately 370,000 loading units. Currently, more than 1,100 containers, swap bodies, and semi-trailers are loaded onto up to 25 full freight trains every day. Since it began operations in 2000, the cumulative throughput has exceeded 7.5 million loading units.

The terminal assets are owned by BASF and operated by Kombi-Terminal Ludwigshafen GmbH. In addition to BASF, the operating company's shareholders include logistics firms such as Bertschi, Hoyer, Hupac, and Kombiverkehr. BASF products account for approximately 30% to 40% of the terminal's throughput, with the remaining capacity open to external freight forwarders and shippers. The transport routes connect markets including Italy, Spain, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia.

Approximately 40% of the goods at BASF's German production site are transported via the Rhine River, with rail and road each accounting for about 30%. The site also features an internal rail network spanning more than 230 kilometers. When Rhine water levels drop, the loading capacity of inland vessels is restricted, and the rail intermodal system can absorb part of the shifted volume. German transport authorities are studying waterway regulation and channel deepening proposals, but these statements currently remain policy proposals and have not yet materialized into newly approved construction projects.