On 30 September 2025, according to the company, Rhenus and Enercon christened the new inland vessel "Rhenus Berlin I" at the Bulk Cargo Terminal in the Port of Szczecin. The pusher barge was built between April and September 2025 in the Szczecin shipyard and is designed to transport large components of wind turbines. With the deployment of the vessel, Rhenus aims to accelerate the relocation of heavy and special transports onto the inland waterways.
Technical data and equipment
The 100-meter-long and 9.46-meter-wide vessel is said to have a draft of 1.65 meters, according to Rhenus. The cargo space measures 91.5 by 7.65 meters and can accommodate up to two rotor blades, each 86 meters long. Future rotor blade generations up
to 88 meters in length can also be transported. The "Rhenus Berlin I" was assembled from two existing ship sections to save material and energy. For maneuverability, a bow thruster, driven by the engine of the predecessor vessel "BUG 1", provides maneuverability. The installation of a new main propulsion system was omitted. The operation uses the synthetic fuel HVO100 to reduce CO2 emissions. Rhenus already plans to build additional pusher barges in a similar design.
Ceremony at the Port of Szczecin
The ceremony took place at Katowickie Quay on the grounds of the Bulk Cargo – Port Szczecin Terminal. The terminal has belonged to the Rhenus family since January 2025 and is the largest terminal operator in the Port of
Szczecin. The christening took place there to emphasize the joint commitment to sustainable logistics. The Deutsche Binnenreederei, a company of the Rhenus Group, will operate the new vessel.
„The christening of the 'Rhenus Berlin I' at the Bulk Cargo Terminal is not only a symbol of the innovation and sustainability with which inland shipping is driving the future of the logistics industry,“ said Martin Panasewicz, managing director of Deutsche Binnenreederei, which operates the ship. „It is also a symbol of the long-standing and fruitful cooperation between inland shipping companies in Germany and Poland. We value the know-how, the quality, and the long tradition of the Szczecin shipyard, which is why we decided to have our new pusher barge built right
here.“
Use in Enercon's wind energy logistics
In the coming weeks, the "Rhenus Berlin I" is to be deployed for the wind turbine manufacturer Enercon, according to Enercon. The vessel will mainly operate in the North German canal region to connect seaports with project sites in Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Schleswig-Holstein. The aim is to take over the transport of rotor blades for the E-175 EP5 wind turbines and thereby ensure the supply of wind farm construction sites.
Significance for transport logistics
According to statements by Rhenus and Enercon, the new inland vessel is expected to advance multimodal logistics in the wind energy sector. By utilizing the waterway, dependence on road transport should be reduced and efficiency in project
