The inland waterway transport sector in Germany faces significant challenges that require rapid expansion and modernisation of the infrastructure. Leading companies in the industry have joined forces in the Allianz Wasserstraße (inland waterway alliance) to develop a comprehensive plan for improving the waterways.
Inland waterway shipping company, HGK AG, is one of the founding members of the Allianz Wasserstraße. Together with duisport, Rhenus Port Logistics and Viking River Cruises, the alliance is committed to the rapid expansion and modernisation of Germany’s waterways.
The Rhine and the western German canal network form the backbone of German inland logistics and are indispensable for numerous companies.
Through its ‘Waterways 2035’ agenda, the Alliance highlights the vital importance of waterways for supplying industry, commerce and the general public.
Millions of tonnes of goods are transported via Germany’s waterways every year. The Alliance expresses its concern that many locks, weirs and other infrastructure structures, are reaching their capacity limits or are in need of refurbishment.
The alliance is calling for a long-term expansion and funding plan for the waterway infrastructure. Furthermore, it advocates for faster planning and approval procedures, greater prioritisation of key projects, and investment in the modernisation of inland waterway transport.
By calling for up to 1,000 modern inland cargo vessels in Europe by 2035, the HGK had already, back in August, provided impetus for the urgently needed renewal of the European fleet.
“Low water levels are becoming an ever-greater risk to Germany’s industrial supply chains. That is why we must think beyond individual measures in inland waterway transport too,” says Bauer. “A modern fleet is no substitute for the modernisation of our waterways – and an efficient waterway alone does not make an ageing fleet resilient. Germany needs both.”
Two pillars – one goal by 2035
From the HGK’s perspective, a long-term policy framework is needed with two key priorities: reliable state investment in inland waterway infrastructure and the accelerated modernisation of the inland waterway fleet. For federal waterways, the concept provides for an investment framework of at least 2.5 billion euros annually, secured across legislative terms. At the same time, the renewal of the European inland waterway freight fleet is to be accelerated.
The company is calling on the German government to support the acquisition of around 350 new, modern vessels by 2035, contributing to the European target of up to 1,000 vessels. For the shipbuilding pillar, the HGK proposes an investment and funding framework of at least 400 million euros annually from 2027 onwards. This is intended to offset the additional costs associated with future-proof propulsion systems and low-water navigability.
“The inland waterway transport sector, which is characterised by small and medium-sized enterprises and its many independent operators, needs a reliable framework in order to fund investments in its future viability and to enable the necessary technological leap. In addition to grants, financing, guarantee and other suitable investment instruments should therefore also be examined,” says Bauer.
At the same time, the fleet of the future must be geared towards the freight flows of the coming decades.
HGK highlights the need for vessels capable of navigating low water levels, energy-efficient and ‘future-fuel-ready’ vessels, as well as flexible concepts for new markets arising from the circular economy, the energy transition and industrial transformation.
“Every ship we build today will still be in service in 2045,” stresses Bauer. “That is why we must build tomorrow’s fleet today: resilient to low water levels, prepared for the propulsion systems of the future and designed for new freight flows. Ultimately, the aim is to ensure that industrial supply chains remain efficient even under changing climatic and economic conditions.”
