Rhenus has merged three German inland shipping companies into a single operator, Rhenus PartnerShip Germany GmbH & Co. KG, with effect retroactive to 1 January 2026. The new entity absorbs all existing customer and partner contracts without interruption.

The merger brings together Rhenus PartnerShip GmbH & Co. KG, Rhenus PartnerShip Berlin GmbH and Rhenus PartnerShip HANSE GmbH. Rhenus says the consolidation will simplify operations, share resources and improve coordination across its German inland shipping network.

For shippers, the practical change is a single counterpart: one company now covers inland waterway links between major seaports, inland waterways and industrial regions, including the Ruhr and northern Germany's canal network.

Which vessels join the fleet?

Alongside the corporate restructuring, Rhenus is strengthening its fleet with canal-compatible vessels approved for Rhine operations.

• RHENUS SZCZECIN (formerly BIVIO): carrying capacity of more than 1,300 tonnes; operates between the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) ports and the Ruhr region; handles general cargo, construction components and GMP-compliant cargo.
• RHENUS HILDESHEIM (formerly ANTARO): 1,300 tonnes capacity; GMP-approved.
• RHENUS HILDESHEIM 1 (formerly pusher barge ANTARO 1): just over 1,000 tonnes capacity.

The coupled RHENUS HILDESHEIM convoy offers a combined capacity of more than 2,300 tonnes and will operate in northern Germany's canal network.

What does the merger change commercially?

The consolidation lets Rhenus combine regional expertise, fleet resources and infrastructure under one organization. The company expects the new structure to support its project logistics activities and improve responsiveness to changing transport requirements.

"Rhenus PartnerShip Germany combines strong regional expertise with an inland shipping fleet operating throughout Europe. This enables us to offer our customers comprehensive solutions for transport requirements in the field of project logistics," said Mark Albrecht, Managing Director of Rhenus PartnerShip Germany.

The move puts Rhenus' existing services and fleet resources under a unified management structure. Carriers and forwarders competing on German inland waterways now face a single, larger integrated player spanning seaport connections and industrial hinterlands.

With the merger effective from the start of 2026 and new tonnage already deployed on the Rhine and northern canals, Rhenus signals continued investment in consolidating Germany's inland waterway market.