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.