16.05.2025 | Press Release

HGK Shipping receives authorisation for test operation of remote-controlled inland vessels in the German canal network

Duisburg / Berlin. It is an important step into the future: HGK Shipping is now authorised to operate the first inland waterway vessel in the German canal area in remote-controlled test mode for six months. At the beginning of May, the "Niedersachsen 2" and "Hanover" combination completed a trial run on a section of the now authorised route without any problems and Europe's largest inland shipping company was given the green light by the Directorate-General for Waterways and Shipping (GDWS). On the fringes of an industry event in Berlin and in the presence of the signatory, GDWS Director Eric Oehlmann, Transport Minister Dr Patrick Schnieder yesterday presented HGK Shipping CEO Steffen Bauer with the permit for the route from Scharnebeck to Salzgitter.

Steffen Bauer (l.) and Dr Patrick Schnieder

During the handover of the permit, Federal Minister Dr Patrick Schnieder made the following statement: "Inland navigation is facing enormous challenges. The shortage of skilled labour, which is set to worsen in the near future, must not be allowed to become a stumbling block for this hidden champion of transport modes. The fact is that inland waterways are the only mode of transport with spare capacity that we have in Germany. Pilot projects such as this remote-controlled coupling can therefore become a game changer. The authorisation procedures are in place, now it's time to get the technology out of the lab and onto the water and into action."

Eric Oehlmann, Head of the Directorate-General for Waterways and Shipping, emphasises: "Innovative approaches show what is possible when technology and sustainability work together. After careful examination of all legal requirements - with a particular focus on safety - and a successful test run, the time has now come: the coupled inland waterway vessel can now be operated remotely from the control centre in Duisburg. I am grateful that my colleagues were able to support the approval process in a swift and solution-oriented manner - the GDWS is setting a good example of how innovation in inland navigation can be driven forward together and at speed. I am therefore particularly pleased that HGK Shipping has received the first German authorisation for the remote-controlled operation of an inland waterway vessel in accordance with the Inland Waterways Ordinance."

"When recruiting qualified labour, this is an effective lever for increasing the attractiveness of the profession."

Steffen Bauer, CEO HGK Shipping GmbH

HGK Shipping has been pushing the use of SEAFAR technology for some time in order to counteract the blatant shortage of skilled skippers."Together with our technology partner SEAFAR, which operates a so-called Remote Operations Center in Duisburg, we are also focusing on increasing the digitalisation of inland shipping by modernising our fleet of ships. This is an effective lever for attracting qualified workers and making the profession more attractive," says Steffen Bauer, CEO of HGK Shipping, emphasising the motive behind this project. "Thanks to the careful preparation and implementation of the individual authorisation steps, we hope to be able to move on to the next stage soon after this test phase and operate with a reduced crew."

Previously, remote control with a full crew had already been trialled on the Rhine with a Belgian permit on the basis of corresponding CCNR recommendations. In the new test phase, which is being carried out in the German canal network between the municipalities of Scharnebeck and Salzgitter, a full crew is still on board the ship.

In the next step, the test programme would then include the operation of the converted ships with a reduced crew. The aim is to deploy personnel more flexibly and allow the skippers more time ashore. In other European countries, particularly in Belgium and the Netherlands, the technology has proven its worth and fulfilled the outlined objectives to the benefit of all involved.