Germany is putting up to €70 million behind the transition toward cleaner inland waterway freight transport. The Federal Ministry for Transport has launched a new funding programme aimed at supporting the development of green inland-shipping corridors, with funding available for projects that enable the use of zero- and low emission inland vessels and the infrastructure required to operate them. Applications for the first funding call are scheduled to open on 17 August 2026.
The programme targets practical changes across the inland shipping system, including cleaner propulsion technologies for new and existing vessels as well as the infrastructure needed to support their operation. Companies, municipalities and other eligible organisations based in Germany can apply. By focusing the first funding round on green inland-shipping corridors, the programme links vessel technology with the infrastructure required to make lower-emission freight operations possible along specific waterways. For the logistics sector, the announcement puts inland waterway decarbonisation firmly on the infrastructure agenda. Germany’s new funding programme is not simply about replacing individual vessels; it is designed around the development of corridors where cleaner vessels and supporting infrastructure can operate together. As companies evaluate lower-emission freight options across European supply chains, developments in Germany’s inland waterways will be an important area to monitor.