6. CARGO FLEETS

• In Rhine countries, the number of small vessels in the inland navigation sector continued to follow a decreasing trend while the number of large vessels continued its increase. The Danube fleet is dominated by dry cargo vessels as well as push and tug boats. More than 70% of the total transport volume on the Danube is carried by pushed convoys.
• For Rhine countries, the newbuilding activity declined in 2024 compared to 2023, especially for dry cargo vessels, with only 13 new units built (down from 34 in 2023). Tanker vessel construction also slowed slightly, with 38 new vessels added, compared to 49 in the previous year.
• The average loading capacity of newbuilt tanker vessels increased significantly from 4,218 tonnes in 2023 to 5,326 tonnes in 2024, confirming the ongoing trend towards larger vessels. The average loading capacity for new dry cargo vessels also rose, reaching 4,230 tonnes, up from 2,716 tonnes. Most newly built vessels in both the dry and liquid cargo segments were registered in the Netherlands.
• In terms of age structure, around 80% of dry cargo vessels were built in the 20th century, while only 38% of tankers date from that period, reflecting a newer tanker fleet overall.

SIZE OF FLEETS PER MACRO-REGION AND COUNTRY IN EUROPE

TABLE 1: SIZE OF FLEETS (NUMBER OF INLAND VESSELS) PER MACRO-REGION AND VESSEL TYPE IN EUROPE

	Dry cargo vessels	Liquid cargo vessels	Push & tugs	Total number of vessels
Rhine fleet	6,381	1,453	1,326	9,160
Danube fleet	2,523	120	681	3,324
Other countries *	786	0 #	277	1,063
Total number of vessels **	9,595	1,543	2,254	13,392


* Other countries = Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Finland, Lithuania
** The figures for the total number of vessels exclude the German Danube fleet, which is included in the Danube fleet data, as they are also captured in the Rhine fleet category. This explains why the figures for the category “total number of vessels” are different from the total of the three categories (Rhine fleet + Danube fleet + other countries). German Danube fleet in 2022 = dry cargo (95); liquid cargo (30); push and tug boats (30).
Rhine fleet (2024) except for Germany (2023) and Luxembourg (2025), Danube fleet (2022), other countries (2023) except for Italy (2017).
# Based on the existing statistics, it is not possible to identify liquid cargo vessels for other countries. The vessels in these countries were all categorised as dry cargo vessels.
Sources: 1) Rhine countries: VNF (France), CBS/Rijkswaterstaat (Netherlands), ITB (Belgium), German Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV), Registration Duties, Estates and VAT authority of Luxembourg, Swiss Rhine ports. 2) Danube countries (German Danube fleet, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine): Danube Commission. Other countries: Eurostat [iww_eq_loadcap], [iww_eq_age].

 
• The following figures show the number of dry and liquid cargo vessels taken together (self-propelled vessels and barges) and the number of push and tug boats per country in Europe.

 

FIGURE 1: NUMBER OF DRY AND LIQUID CARGO VESSELS PER COUNTRY IN EUROPE *


Sources: Eurostat [iww_eq_loadcap], national sources for Rhine countries (Registration Duties, Estates and VAT authority of Luxembourg, Swiss Rhine ports, German Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV), VNF, ITB, Rijkswaterstaat and CBS) and Danube Commission for Danube countries (Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine)
* Data are for 2023, except for Italy (2017), Danube countries (2022) and Luxembourg (2025)

 

FIGURE 2: NUMBER OF PUSH AND TUG BOATS PER COUNTRY IN EUROPE *


Sources: Eurostat [iww_eq_age], Registration Duties, Estates and VAT authority of Luxembourg, and Danube Commission for Austria, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine
* Data are from 2023, except for Italy (2017), Austria, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine (2022) and Luxembourg (2025).

 

EVOLUTION OF THE RHINE FLEET

DRY CARGO FLEET IN RHINE COUNTRIES

• Fleet data used for this part are entirely based on national fleet data from waterway administrations. The reason for this is that a distinction between dry and liquid cargo vessels is only available in national fleet databases and in the IVR database, but not in the Eurostat databases.
• Data used for the Dutch fleet contain the inland vessels that are registered in the Netherlands, and which were active (in the Netherlands as well as abroad) in 2024.⁴⁶ The total number of dry cargo vessels registered in Rhine countries was, according to these sources, 6,381 in 2024, compared to 6,410 in 2023, 6,768 in 2022 and 6,901 in 2021. As these figures show, there has been a clear downward trend, in particular in the most recent past. This downward trend is due to the decline in the number of small vessels. Another more recent cause is the export of dry cargo vessels from the Rhine to the Danube region within the Solidarity Lanes initiative.
• The share of the Dutch fleet within all dry cargo vessels in Rhine countries is 51%. Germany is ranked second with a share of 22%, followed by France (14%), Belgium (14%), Switzerland (<1%) and Luxembourg (<1%).

 

FIGURE 3: NUMBER OF DRY CARGO VESSELS IN RHINE COUNTRIES IN 2024 *


Sources: CCNR based on national data (see table 1)
* Data for Germany relate to 2023.

 

FIGURES 4 AND 5: DRY CARGO FLEET IN RHINE COUNTRIES *




Sources: CCNR based on national data (see table 1)
* For Germany, data were not available for 2024, so 2023 data were used for this year.

 
• The total loading capacity of the dry cargo Rhine fleet has remained rather constant since 2008 and amounted to 10.0 million tonnes in 2024. The average loading capacity per vessel was 1,577 tonnes in 2024, compared to 1,296 in 2012.
• It is often cited that the number of small vessels in the inland navigation sector is decreasing. Long-term data tend to confirm this hypothesis. As the following figure shows, the number of vessels with a maximum deadweight of 1,000 tonnes pursued a decreasing trend between 2014 and 2024. In the more recent past (2023-2024) the number of vessels decreased also for larger dry cargo vessels. This can be explained by the export of dry cargo vessels to the Danube region, which took place in 2023. Altogether, the number of dry cargo vessels in 2023 counted 413 vessels less than in 2022. This was a reduction of 5.7% of the fleet. A part of this reduction is presumed to be due to the export of vessels, while another part is presumed to be due to the declining trend for dry cargo vessels.

 

FIGURE 6: DRY CARGO FLEET IN RHINE COUNTRIES PER LOADING CAPACITY CATEGORY





Sources: National administrations in Rhine countries, CCNR analysis

LIQUID CARGO FLEET IN RHINE COUNTRIES

• The share of the Dutch fleet within all liquid cargo vessels in Rhine countries is 49%. Germany is ranked second with a share of 31%, followed by Belgium (10%), Switzerland (4%), France (3%) and Luxembourg (3%). The total number of tanker vessels has decreased since 2012, as the number of vessels being phased out (mostly single hull vessels) was higher than the number of new (double hull) vessels entering the market.

 

FIGURE 7: NUMBER OF LIQUID CARGO VESSELS IN RHINE COUNTRIES IN 2024 *


Sources: CCNR based on national data (see table 1)
* For Germany, data relate to 2023.

 

FIGURES 8 AND 9: LIQUID CARGO FLEET IN RHINE COUNTRIES *




Sources: CCNR based on national data (see table 1)
* For Germany, data were not available for 2024, so 2023 data were used for this year.

 
• The number of liquid cargo vessels in Rhine countries was 1,453 in 2024, an increase compared to 1,439 in 2023, 1,440 in 2022 and 1,438 in 2021. The loading capacity of the entire tanker fleet has also increased. In 2024, it was 3.7 million tonnes, compared to 3.6 million tonnes in 2023, 3.4 million tonnes in 2022 and 3.4 million tonnes in 2021. The average loading capacity of a tanker vessel in Rhine countries rose to 2,557 tonnes in 2024, compared to 1,919 tonnes in 2012.
• The increase of the entire loading capacity of the tanker fleet in recent years can be explained by large tanker vessels entering the market. This is confirmed by the figure below. At the same time as large tanker vessels entered the market in increasing numbers, smaller tanker vessels left the market.

 

FIGURE 10: LIQUID CARGO FLEET IN RHINE COUNTRIES PER LOADING CAPACITY CATEGORY


Sources: National administrations in Rhine countries, CCNR analysis

 
 

EVOLUTION OF THE DANUBE FLEET⁴⁷

• According to statistics of the Danube Commission (DC) (with clarification based on surveys of shipping companies in its Member States), by the end of 2022, 76% of the Danube fleet was composed of dry cargo vessels (2,523), 20% push boats and tugs (681) and 4% were tanker vessels (120).

 

DRY CARGO FLEET IN THE DANUBE REGION

• According to the statistics of the Danube Commission (with clarification based on surveys of shipping companies in its Member States), by the end of 2022, 389 self-propelled dry cargo vessels were in operation together with 2,134 dry cargo barges, with a total cargo capacity of around 3.0 million tonnes.⁴⁸ The Romanian dry cargo fleet is the largest in the Danube area with a share of around 44% of all dry cargo vessels.
• More than 70% of the total transport volume is carried by pushed convoys, whose composition is set out in the table below, depending on the waterway class and navigation conditions.
• In 2024, for the Upper Danube at the lock of Gabčíkovo, 45% of all cargo was transported in pushed convoys. For the Middle Danube at Mohács, the share of pushed convoys within total transport was 68%. For the Lower Danube, the share of pushed convoys within total transport was even higher.

 

TABLE 2: TYPE OF DRY CARGO TRANSPORT ON THE DANUBE (SHARE OF TOTAL TRANSPORT IN %)

Push boat + 7-9 pushed barges (lighters)	40-42%
Push boat + 6 lighters	20-23%
Push boat + 4 lighters	12-14%


Source: Danube Commission market observation report
 

LIQUID CARGO FLEET IN THE DANUBE REGION

• According to the statistics of the Danube Commission (with clarification based on surveys of shipping companies in its Member States), by the end of 2022, 36 self-propelled tanker vessels were in operation, together with 84 tanker barges, with a total cargo capacity of around 0.16 million tonnes.⁴⁹

 

NEW VESSEL CONSTRUCTION IN RHINE COUNTRIES⁵⁰

• In 2024, newbuilding activity has slowed down compared to 2023. This was especially the case for dry cargo vessels, for which the newbuilding rate was less than half as high as in the previous year (13 new dry cargo vessels in 2024 compared to 34 new dry cargo vessels in 2023). The number of tanker vessels was also lower than the previous year (38 tanker vessels in 2024 compared to 49 tanker vessels in 2023). The weak development of transport demand in recent years, especially for dry cargo transport on the Rhine, can be considered as one main reason for the decrease in the newbuilding rate. It is also worth noting that vessels classified under the category “Other”, such as patrol or service vessels, are not included in the graphs presented here.

DRY CARGO

• The majority of the new dry cargo vessels entering the market in 2024 are registered in the Netherlands (7 out of 13), followed by Belgium (3 out of 13) and Germany (3 out of 13).

 

FIGURE 11: NEW DRY CARGO VESSELS COMING ON THE MARKET PER COUNTRY OF REGISTER (NUMBER, 2011-2024)


Source: IVR
 
• As is often the case, the most common loading capacity for newly built dry cargo vessels in 2024 was in the 3,000 < 4,000 tonnes range. The average loading capacity of new dry cargo vessels in 2024 amounted to 4,230 tonnes compared to 2,716 tonnes in 2023.

 

TABLE 3: NEWLY BUILT DRY CARGO VESSELS ACCORDING TO LOADING CAPACITY

Loading capacity	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
0 < 1,000 t	5	4	4	16	13	8	5	0
1,000 < 2,000 t	4	4	8	11	0	4	6	0
2,000 < 3,000 t	7	8	12	8	3	10	3	3
3,000 < 4,000 t	16	6	13	14	11	8	16	6
> 4,000 t	2	3	6	1	2	0	2	4
Total	35	25	43	51	29	31	34	13


Source: IVR
Note that in 2024, for four newly built vessels, the deadweight was partly estimated due to initially missing values. Estimations were also made in the previous years. Total numbers contain vessels for which no deadweight tonnage value is known, which explains the possible differences between the overall totals and the sum of vessels sorted by their loading capacity in each column.
 

TABLE 4: NEWLY BUILT DRY CARGO VESSELS IN 2024 BY LENGTH

Length	Number of vessels
< 55 metres	0
55 to < 70 metres	0
70 to < 86 metres	2
86 to 110 metres	5
> 110 metres	6
Total	13


Sources: IVR, CCNR analysis

 

LIQUID CARGO

• According to the IVR database, 38 new tanker vessels entered the market in 2024, a decrease compared to 2023, when 49 were delivered. As usual, the majority of the new vessels are registered in the Netherlands (18), followed by Luxembourg (8), Belgium (7), Switzerland (3) and Germany (2). Despite of the decrease in the number of vessels, the new loading capacity was higher in 2024 than in 2023 (see text further below).

 

FIGURE 12: NEW LIQUID CARGO VESSELS COMING ON THE MARKET PER COUNTRY OF REGISTER (NUMBER, 2011-2024)


Source :IVR
 
• The most common loading capacity of the new tanker vessels is in the category “> 4,000 tonnes,” with 21 new tanker vessels in 2024. The overall average loading capacity increased from 4,218 tonnes in 2023 to 5,326 tonnes in 2024. This is solely explained by the high number of newbuilt vessels in the > 4,000 tonnes category in 2024 (21) compared to 2023 when 15 such vessels were built. In general, an increasing number of vessels are built to have a loading capacity exceeding 4,000 tonnes, often by several thousand tonnes, confirming the trend towards larger vessels being built in the liquid cargo segment observed in recent years.

 

TABLE 5: NEWLY BUILT LIQUID CARGO VESSELS ACCORDING TO LOADING CAPACITY

Loading capacity	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
0 < 1,000 t	1	2	1	0	0	0	0	0
1,000 < 2,000 t	14	11	16	9	14	5	3	2
2,000 < 3,000 t	14	14	17	23	18	22	29	13
3,000 < 4,000 t	2	4	3	9	13	2	2	2
> 4,000 t	5	3	10	15	13	2	15	21
Total	36	34	47	57	58	31	49	38


Sources: IVR, CCNR analysis
Note that in 2024, for seven newly built vessels, the deadweight was partly estimated due to initially missing values. Estimations were also made in the previous years. Total numbers contain vessels for which no deadweight tonnage value is known, which explains the possible differences between the overall totals and the sum of vessels sorted by their loading capacity in each column.

 

TABLE 6: NEWLY BUILT TANKER VESSELS IN 2024 BY LENGTH

Length	Number of vessels
< 55 metres	0
55 to < 70 metres	0
70 to < 86 metres	2
86 to 110 metres	14
> 110 metres	22
Total	38


Sources: IVR, CCNR analysis

 
• According to the IVR newbuilding data, one new push boat (registered in Switzerland) was delivered in 2024 (compared to 6 in 2023).
• Figure 13 illustrates the new loading capacity for dry and liquid cargo vessels entering the market by year. Following a prolonged post-financial crisis slump, recent years have witnessed a resurgence in new capacity for liquid cargo vessels. For dry cargo vessels, the curve does not show a clear recovery. As was mentioned before, the development of transport demand in the dry cargo sector was very weak in recent years, which might have caused the prolonged slump in newbuilding rates and related capacities entering the market.

 

FIGURE 13: NEW CAPACITY COMING ON THE MARKET FOR DRY AND LIQUID CARGO (LOADING CAPACITY IN 1,000 TONNES)


Source: IVR
In 2024, for eleven newly built vessels, the deadweight was partly estimated due to initially missing values. Estimations were also made in the previous years.


 

AGE STRUCTURE OF THE RHINE CARGO FLEET

• According to the vessel database of the IVR,⁵¹ around 80% of the dry cargo fleet was constructed in the 20th century, whereas this share amounts to 38% for the tanker fleet. According to this same database, the Netherlands holds the largest number of vessels within the Rhine fleet in almost every vessel category, followed by Germany.

 

FIGURE 14: COMMISSIONING YEARS FOR THE RHINE FLEET OVER TIME (NUMBER OF INLAND VESSELS)


Sources: IVR, CCNR analysis
Note that nine dry cargo vessels and 12 push and tug boats have an unknown year of construction.
Furthermore, 221 additional tanker vessels, 1,844 dry cargo vessels and 490 push and tug boats are recorded in the IVR database as being registered in countries other than Rhine countries.

 
• According to the Danube Commission data, most of the dry cargo fleet was built during the 1961-1970 and 1981-1990 periods. For the push and tug boat category, most vessels were built in the 1961-1970 and 1991-2000 periods. According to this same source, Romania holds the largest number of vessels within the Danubian fleet in every vessel category, followed by Hungary and Serbia.

 

FIGURE 15: COMMISSIONING YEARS FOR THE DANUBE FLEET OVER TIME (NUMBER OF INLAND VESSELS)*


Sources: 2022 Danube Commission yearbook of statistics, CCNR analysis
*Commissioning year is unknown for several vessels. This can explain the differences between the numbers for each fleet type in this graph compared to the total number of vessels registered in the Danubian fleet.

 
 

CAPACITY MONITORING

DRY CARGO VESSELS

• After a year 2023 marked by a major decline in goods transported on inland waterways, the situation stabilised in 2024. The segment of container transport stopped its downward trend, agricultural and food products experienced an increase in volumes, while the volumes of iron ore remained stable compared to 2023. A notable exception is the drop in the transport of sand, stones and gravel and the drop in coal transport due to the energy transition, which causes a decline of EU coal imports.
• Regarding the evolution of the fleet, the decrease in the number of vessels with a capacity below 2,000 t continued. Although smaller vessels offer flexibility during low water levels, they suffer from the shortage of boatmasters and benefit less from economies of scale than large vessels. In the meantime, the fleet of vessels with a capacity higher than 2,000 t expanded.
• Compared to recent years, 2024 stands out as there has been no day with a water level below the equivalent water level on the Rhine. Therefore, there was no capacity reduction due to low water levels. The decrease in the utilisation of the capacity for large vessels is explained by the increase of vessels with a capacity above 2,000 t and the stable transport demand. For vessels below 2,000 t, the decrease in overall capacity due to the shrinking fleet combined with the stable transport demand led to an increase in the usage of the capacity. These two opposite dynamics result in an average utilisation of 78%, which is similar to 2023 (77%).
• In the absence of low water levels, the observed trend is likely to continue. In the short term, the number of smaller vessels is expected to continue decreasing. But the growing trend towards automation may dampen the drop in the long run. As the energy transition progresses, the transport of coal will further decrease. The reverse modal shift, which was occurring particularly in the container segment, seems to have stopped. Nevertheless, the situation needs to be closely monitored as measures may be needed for inland waterway transport to remain attractive. Last but not least, the last two years (2023 and 2024) have been particularly favourable regarding water levels. Due to climate change, it is expected that low water level episodes will increase in the future. Therefore, even if 2024 seems more stable, the sector should keep on investing efforts into developing a resilient fleet.

 

FIGURE 16: DEGREE OF CAPACITY UTILISATION OF DRY CARGO VESSELS IN THE RHINE AREA


Sources: Panteia calculation based on data provided by CCNR.

 

LIQUID CARGO VESSELS

• In contrast to the dry cargo sector, the liquid cargo sector experienced a sharp increase in the transport of oil products and chemicals compared to 2023. This is caused by a rising demand for LNG and the falling price of raw materials for the chemical industry. Regarding the fleet, the number of vessels with a capacity below 1,000 t is decreasing as well as those with a capacity of between 1,000 t and 2,000 t, but this is less pronounced than in the case of dry cargo. On the other hand, the number of large vessels is growing (particularly in Switzerland and Luxembourg, with 10 and 6 newbuilt vessels respectively).
• The tanker shipping market benefited in particular from the favourable conditions regarding water levels, as it is more sensitive to low water. Due to the investment in new vessels, the capacity utilisation of large vessels has decreased compared to 2023, despite increased volumes. On the other hand, capacity usage increased for the smaller tankers due to the increased demand and the shrinking fleet for small vessels. In the end, the vessels with a large capacity drive the average capacity utilisation rate, which has decreased from 71% in 2023 to 65% in 2024.
• As it stands, the liquid cargo segment seems to face overcapacity, in the light of an average degree of capacity utilisation of only 65%. But given the foreseen increasing frequency of droughts, the additional capacity can well be a ‘luxury’ that will be necessary to face the future. The reason is that more vessels will be needed in the case of low water to transport the same amount of cargo. Moreover, even if the energy transition drives down the demand for oil products, this will be compensated for by the rising transport of liquid biofuels.

 

FIGURE 17: DEGREE OF CAPACITY UTILISATION OF LIQUID CARGO VESSELS IN THE RHINE AREA


Sources: Panteia calculation based on data provided by CCNR.
 

 

INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INLAND NAVIGATION FLEET CONTRIBUTING TO REDUCING EMISSIONS

• In accordance with the mandate given by the Mannheim Ministerial Declaration of 17 October 2018, the CCNR adopted in December 2021 a roadmap for reducing emissions from inland navigation,⁵² which called for the creation of a database on innovative vessels.
• To develop such a database, available data on innovative inland navigation vessels was compiled within the framework of the Inspection Regulation Committee of the CCNR, with the following scope:
  – innovative vessels understood as being designed to emit less air pollutants or greenhouse gases than a conventional diesel vessel;
  – freight and passenger vessels with a Rhine Vessel Inspection Certificate or a Union certificate;⁵³
  – vessels planned, under construction, in service or cancelled projects.
• Even if biofuels contribute to reducing – under certain conditions – greenhouse gas emissions, vessels running on biofuels were not taken into account in the analysis, as switching to biofuels does not call for a specific design or technical adaptation at the level of the vessel. Also, diesel electric vessels are not considered as innovative vessels.
• For the purpose of this analysis, 81 vessels were considered: 57 freight vessels, 19 day-trip passenger vessels, 3 cabin vessels and 2 training vessels.⁵⁴ The vast majority of the innovative vessels sail with a Rhine Vessel Inspection Certificate. They are mainly new built vessels (around 85%) but also retrofitted vessels (around 15%).
• The number of innovative vessels in service represents less than 0.2% of the entire inland navigation fleet in Europe, 56 of which were built, retrofitted or planned from 2021 onwards. Nine came into service in 2024, and ten are still considered as projects (both newbuilt and retrofit).
• Several projects were foreseen to be built in 2023 and 2024 but suffered some delays. Indeed, such innovative projects involve complex technologies which are often applied for the first time on inland navigation vessels, making the risk of delay quite likely. Delays are generally linked to the manufacturers of such technologies being unfamiliar with maritime/inland navigation legislation, underestimation of complexity, lack of overall project management and financial issues.
• Several projects have also been cancelled before being finalised.⁵⁵ The reasons behind the cancellation of a project could be of a different nature, such as economic (not enough demand, lack of subsidies), organisational (withdrawal of a partner) or even technical (safety or operational issues). Most of the projects cancelled were LNG propelled vessels. Indeed, fossil LNG is no longer considered as a long-term option, notably for reducing carbon emissions in inland navigation. The other vessels which were cancelled or removed from service concerned hydrogen or methanol propelled vessels. The reasons for these cancellations are firstly mostly economic and, secondly, technical. Four out of these vessels were planned to operate with fuel cell systems, as well as two which are currently out of service.
• This trend does not consider the evolution of the number of innovative vessels outside the scope of this database.
• These innovative vessels run or are expected to run on – as the primary energy carrier⁵⁶ – batteries, liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, compressed hydrogen (GH2) mainly in combination with batteries, liquefied hydrogen (LH2), sodium borohydride with batteries (NaBH4) or ammonia (NH3).

 

FIGURE 18: NUMBER OF VESSELS USING ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES AS ONE OF THE MAIN ENERGY CARRIERS *


Source: CCNR database
* The category “Hydrogen” includes vessels that use or are likely to use fuel cells for propulsion. The category “Methanol” includes 4 vessels operating with a combustion engine and one foreseen to operate with a fuel cell system. The category “Batteries” includes vessels sailing solely on batteries. The category “Diesel/batteries” consists solely of vessels that are capable of relying on batteries alone for propulsion. ICE = Internal Combustion Engine; FC = Fuel Cells.

 
• Figure 18 above reflects the alternative energies used as one of the main energy carriers (for vessel propulsion). It often comes with other energy carriers onboard, notably diesel engines for redundancy purposes or as an emergency power source. The majority of vessels that run or plan to run on hydrogen usually use hydrogen in compressed form (GH2) as it is cheaper than the liquefied form. Among those using GH2, only one aims at employing it as the sole energy carrier, while the remaining 14 also have battery and/or diesel drivetrains. In other words, it is anticipated that different (modular) options for zero-emissions powertrains, using mixes of energy sources/fuels, will play a role in achieving the ambitious emission reduction objectives set at the international level. This is confirmed by the profile of the innovative vessels (in service, under construction or project) which almost all use multiple energy carriers (around 74%).
• Moreover, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for achieving energy transition. The choice of an appropriate emission reduction technology depends on several factors, which include the sailing profile of the vessels, their type, the market segment in which they operate, but also the related technical constraints.
• This is reflected in the following figure, showing how innovative applications find their way into the inland navigation sector.

 

FIGURE 19: DISTRIBUTION OF INNOVATIONS PER VESSEL TYPE AND PRIMARY ENERGY CARRIER⁵⁷


 
• Most of these innovative vessels are equipped with a combustion engine as their main energy converter (43), of which 33 are also equipped with an electric motor. In addition, eight vessels running mainly on batteries are also equipped with a combustion engine for redundancy purposes or as an emergency power source. This is a positive evolution which should facilitate a modular system approach. Indeed, the integration of batteries or fuel cell systems in existing vessels requires a vessel to be equipped with an electric motor in the first place. 26 vessels operate solely with battery electric propulsion systems or are capable of relying on batteries alone for propulsion and 18 operate with fuel cell systems. It should be highlighted that one vessel is designed to use swappable batteries containers.