The Kiel Canal: The busiest artificial waterway in the world | DW Documentary

A technical masterpiece -- and a big responsibility. The Kiel Canal in Germany is the busiest artificial waterway in the world. But keeping it operational is expensive.

The infrastructure of the Kiel Canal is a much-discussed topic. As is the case in Germany with roads, bridges and railway tracks, cost-cutting measures are also impacting waterways.

Yet the canal offers decisive advantages for freight transport: every shipping container transported here replaces a long lorry journey. This saves fuel and improves the freight’s carbon footprint.

Every year, 25,000 to 30,000 ships pass through the artificial waterway that runs between the port cities of Kiel and Brunsbüttel, connecting the Baltic Sea with the North Sea. But the Kiel Canal, which opened in 1895 and is almost 100 kilometers long, requires constant monitoring and maintenance.

In the summer of 2024, one of the large lock chambers in Brunsbüttel had to be shut down for several months, and the canal was widened. Up to 30,000 cubic meters of soil were removed here every day to meet the increased demands of shipping traffic.

Two young boat builders, both named Paul, have little inkling of these challenges. They bought an old sailing boat and made it seaworthy again. The canal and its locks are the first big adventure of their journey, which will take them to the Canary Islands.

The impressive ships that sail the Kiel Canal have attracted their own fan base. Ship spotters regularly gather on the banks of the canal to watch the majestic cargo ships.
Parking attendant Rainer Schmidt is in charge of maintenance for the Rendsburg viewing point. One of his most important tasks is to keep the hedges trimmed, to ensure the view of the canal is not obstructed.

The report highlights the different facets of the Kiel Canal and shows how closely people are connected to this waterway. It accompanies them in their everyday lives and during special challenges, against the impressive backdrop of an ageing, but fascinating, technical monument.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #dwdocs #germany #kiel
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