Germany has launched a €70 million funding programme to accelerate the shift of its inland shipping fleet toward low- and zero-emission operations.

The Federal Ministry of Transport has made up to €70 million available in the first funding call, dedicated to the development of green inland waterway corridors, according to a ministry press release issued on Monday.

The funding will support the installation of cleaner propulsion systems on both new and existing inland vessels, as well as the infrastructure needed to operate them. This includes charging and refuelling facilities for alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia and methanol at ports and other locations along inland waterways. Because inland vessels typically remain in service for several decades, retrofitting the existing fleet — not just building new ships — is widely viewed as a key lever for cutting the sector's emissions.

Support will also be available for renewable electricity and renewable hydrogen production facilities, along with storage systems and mobile supply facilities at transshipment and berthing locations outside ports.

German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger said the programme would help bring emission-free propulsion systems and the infrastructure needed to support them into operation more quickly.

Beyond decarbonization, the scheme is intended to encourage more freight and passenger traffic to move onto Germany's waterways while supporting the competitiveness of the country's inland shipping sector. Inland waterway transport is widely regarded as one of the most energy-efficient ways to move cargo per tonne-kilometre, and Germany's network — anchored by the Rhine and connected rivers and canals such as the Elbe and the Mittelland Canal — ranks among the busiest in Europe. At EU level, the bloc has set a goal of shifting more freight off the road, with the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy targeting a 25% rise in combined inland waterway and short-sea freight by 2030, and instruments such as the NAIADES III action programme and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation supporting the greening of the sector. Recent low-water periods on the Rhine, including in 2018 and 2022, disrupted cargo flows and have drawn attention to the importance of a modern, reliable fleet. Hydrogen, ammonia and methanol are among the candidate fuels being pursued globally to cut emissions from shipping.

Companies, municipalities and other economically active entities based in Germany are eligible to apply.

Applications for the first call will open through the government's funding portal on August 17. The deadline for applications will be announced at a later date.