European inland waterway transport at Rhenus

Waterways connect a large number of markets in Europe. Consequently, inland waterway vessels represent a cost-effective and climate-friendly mode of transport. With close to 1,000 ship units and capacities of up to 10,000 tonnes per unit, Rhenus Poland transports a vast variety of goods.

Rhenus: The go-to inland waterway expert

We deploy our Rhenus ships for you on all navigable waterways in Europe. Every year, we transport up to 30 million tonnes of bulk goods from all relevant goods groups, bulk general cargo, e.g. steel products, and containers as well as installations.

To this end, we have an extensive network of branches along the most important waterways and hubs at our disposal.

In addition, our bunker and bilge oil boats work the European inland waterways.

Our services for different types of goods

Bulk goods

Whether powdery, granular or lumpy mixture

The Rhenus Group and its inland waterway vessels support many sectors of European industry by transporting a wide variety of starting materials and raw materials. These include agricultural products, building materials, aggregates, energy sources, ores, etc.

General cargo

Bigger, heavier, farther

We handle the transport of the most diversified types of general cargo for our customers. For example, we transport products from the steel industry, large and heavy construction parts and all break bulk cargo.

GMP goods

Certified feed transport

GMP+ (good manufacturing practice) certification has established itself as a major standard for the transport of agricultural products in recent years. Our inland waterway fleet is equipped with the necessary certificates, which attest to its being a reliable logistics partner for the agricultural industry across national borders.

Waste goods

Professional transport of various types of waste

Transporting waste demands compliance with a large number of legal requirements. The Rhenus fleet of inland waterway vessels has ships that meet all the necessary European requirements, making it possible for us to transport waste and other hazardous materials for you. These include materials such as waste wood, glass, contaminated soil and industrial slag in various volumes.

Ship supply and disposal

Service provider for inland waterway transport

Eight of the company’s own bilge oil boats are used to collect oil and greasy ship operating waste, e.g. empty oil containers or oily cleaning rags, from inland waterway vessels. Their primary task is the collection and subsequent professional disposal of bilge oil. Our ships are able to treat the bilge water while still on the waterway. The separated waste oil is collected in our own systems and fed into the economic cycle in processed form.

With eight bunker boats, we also supply goods and passenger shipping on all European waterways with marine diesel, lubricants, drinking water and other required products.

Bilge oil separator

This specialised vessel is responsible for the disposal of waste oil, solid waste and oil-water mixtures.

Bunker Boat

Our bunker boats, like the Rheintank 2, supply inland vessels with fuel and drinking water.

Container transport by barge

Containers can be transported efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way on inland waterway vessels in the European river network.

Touring boat

Tourist boats are also part of the Rhenus fleet.

Push units

Push-pull units enable the transport of large quantities of goods by push boat and push barge.

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Bilge oil separator

Bunker Boat

Container transport by barge

Touring boat

Push units

Any Questions?

Our experts are always there for you. If you wish, we will also call you back – keeping things convenient and straightforward.

European network

With our Europe-wide network and our customer-centric mindset, we are in a position to integrate our specified fleet of ships as a reliable component in all supply chains. At the same time, our local branches know the individual particularities of the markets very well and are therefore always able to respond to customer-specific requirements.

Centuries of experience

Inland waterway transport has been a fundamental component of the Rhenus Group for more than 200 years. Thanks to the high proportion of our own proprietary shipping space and the levels of trust which have grown over the course of our collaboration with long-standing partners, you can benefit from our experience in supporting your needs.

Just in time is everything

We know how important timeliness is in today’s transport and integrated transport chains. Inland waterway transport is the mode of transport with the best time planning capability. Our colleagues on board and ashore are fully dedicated to the highest safety and punctuality of your goods, ensuring that your requirements are met.