GRENDEL Green and efficient Danube Fleet

Long service life of inland vessels, high investment costs, low re-investment capacity of the Danube fleet operators together with knowledge deficits about green technologies as well as the lack of public actions & incentives impose severe barriers for the adaption of the Danube IWT fleet to forthcoming European IWT and environmental policy objectives.

The GRENDEL project supports the Danube vessel fleet operators and their public counterparts in modernisation of the sector. GRENDEL addresses various fleet modernisation aspects: [i] use of low carbon & alternative fuels, [ii] reduction of air pollutant emissions (CO2, NOx, PM) and [iii] overall energy consumption. Besides this, [iv] transport & logistics management processes are addressed to ensure better integration of the Danube IWT into logistics chains through new services (including River Information Services), digital data provision as well as dedicated tools to improve efficiency of fleet operations.

The project's overall goal is the improvement of the environmental and economic performance of the Danube fleet. This will be achieved through three specific objectives:

  1. Know-how transfer for Danube fleet operators with the help of intensive transnational collaboration between private & public stakeholders and targeted know-how transfer activities in order to overcome the existing knowledge gap, lack of activities and absence of instruments to deploy innovative solutions
  2. Elaboration of innovative technical vessel concepts and improved transport & logistic management processes of fleet operators and sharing these as good practices for wide-scale implementation to strengthen the competitive position of inland navigation and to exploit its market potential
  3. Supporting development of favourable regulatory framework & well-designed public support measures by  introducing Model State Aid Scheme & innovative financial instruments to design national public support measures which will clearly address the needs of the sector

With its activities, GRENDEL aims to achieve a higher acceptance and use of inland waterway transport (IWT) as an environmentally friendly transport mode contributing to economic growth and a more sustainable transport system in the Danube region.

Green and efficient Danube Fleet
Start date
01-06-2018
End date
30-11-2020
Budget in Euro
Overall: 1,824,999.20
ERDF Contribution: 1,481,137.05
IPA Contribution: 70,112.25
ENI Contribution: 0.00
Call number
Call 2
Priority
Better connected and energy responsible Danube region
Specific objective
Support environmentally-friendly and safe transport systems and balanced accessibility of urban and rural areas

Project Partners

Name Type Email Country
Pro Danube International Lead partner siot@prodanube.eu AUSTRIA
Association „Pro Danube Romania” – Association for the promotion of transports on the Danube ERDF partner meterna@prodanube.ro ROMANIA
SHIP DESIGN GROUP S.R.L. Galati ERDF partner vgiuglea@shipdesigngroup.eu ROMANIA
River Navigation Company NAVROM SA ERDF partner idanaila@navrom.ro ROMANIA
Danubia Kreuzfahrten GmbH ERDF partner Wolfgang.lueftner@lueftner-cruises.com AUSTRIA
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Project News

  • GRENDEL - FINALISATION AND PUBLICATION OF THE INNOVATIVE & GREENING INLAND VESSEL CONCEPTS
    - 30-11-2020
    FINALISATION AND PUBLICATION OF THE INNOVATIVE & GREENING INLAND VESSEL CONCEPTS

    The three funded fleet operators of the project (NAVROM in cooperation with SDG, FLUVIUS, DANUBIA) were involved in the development of innovative and greening inland vessel concepts, participating to the creation of best practises, with the...

  • GRENDEL - PUBLICATION OF THE FINALISED MODEL STATE AID SCHEME & DRAFT STATE AID SCHEME FOR BULGARIA
    - 30-11-2020
    PUBLICATION OF THE FINALISED MODEL STATE AID SCHEME & DRAFT STATE AID SCHEME FOR BULGARIA

    Improving the environmental and economic performance of the Danube inland vessels is the overall goal of the GRENDEL project. It aims to achieve a higher acceptance and use of inland waterway transport as an environmentally friendly transport...

  • GRENDEL - GRENDEL Danube IWT Fleet Modernisation Strategy & Recommendations available
    - 26-11-2020
    GRENDEL Danube IWT Fleet Modernisation Strategy & Recommendations available

    GRENDEL represents a vital step forward in the more than challenging modernisation process of the Danube fleet. The achievements of the project went far beyond identifying the most challenges IWT is facing in terms of low technological...

  • GRENDEL - GRENDEL: the final event of a fruitful transnational cooperation
    - 30-10-2020
    GRENDEL: the final event of a fruitful transnational cooperation

        Fleet modernisation and technological innovation were key elements that defined the last 30 months of fruitful collaboration in the framework of the GRENDEL project. GRENDEL's final online event was attended by more than 80...

  • GRENDEL - SAVE THE DATE! Final event of the GRENDEL project
    - 15-10-2020
    SAVE THE DATE! Final event of the GRENDEL project

      The Final Event of the GRENDEL project takes place on 29 October 2020 as an online event organised by Pro Danube. The event will allow to have an overview on the most important achievements of the project which is ending in November...

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Programme co-funded by European Union funds (ERDF, IPA, ENI)