08.04.2026 | Pressemitteilung

Covestro and HGK Shipping subsidiary are turning to wind-assisted propulsion: the ‘Amadeus Titanium’ is now underway with an innovative propulsion system

Duisburg / Harlingen. Covestro and HGK Shipping are taking another step towards sustainability together. Thanks to a resource-efficient wind-assisted propulsion system, the coastal motor vessel “Amadeus Titanium” operated by Amadeus Schiffahrts- und Speditions GmbH has been able to carry out its transport assignments for its long-standing partner Covestro in an even more sustainable manner since the end of March 2026. To this end, the vessel owned by the HGK Shipping subsidiary was fitted with Ven toFoils® from Econowind in the Dutch port city of Harlingen. This innovative technology uses wind power for propulsion, enabling fuel savings of around ten per cent on average, which also reduces the ship’s CO₂ emissions.

“We have a long-standing and trusting partnership with our logistics partner HGK Shipping. The fitting out of the ‘Amadeus Titanium’ represents another important step in this cooperation and will drive the development of more sustainable supply chains,” says Nils Peterzelka, Sourcing Manager for Regional Bulk Shipping at Covestro, commenting on the project. Wolfgang Nowak, Managing Director of Amadeus Schiffahrts- und Speditions GmbH, adds from the shipping company’s perspective: “By using WAPS, or ‘Wind Assisted Propulsion Systems’ such as Econowind’s VentoFoils®, we are able to save fuel in short-sea transport for Covestro. This has both economic and environmental benefits.”

The coastal motor vessel “Amadeus Titanium”

Sustainable transport solutions on the agenda

“Technological progress will create further opportunities in the future to make transport logistics in the maritime sector and within the waterway system more low-emission. “Together with strategic partners such as Covestro, we are driving forward the opportunities that the market is opening up, for example in new propulsion technologies, or those we are developing in ship design, often in collaboration with our clients,” emphasises Steffen Bauer, CEO of the HGK Group and Chairman of the Management Board of HGK Shipping.

"Technological progress will, in future, create further opportunities to make transport logistics via inland waterways more low-emission."

Steffen Bauer, CEO of the HGK Group and Chairman of the Management Board of HGK Shipping

“Our goal is to reduce our CO2 emissions in logistics by 30 per cent by 2035 and to be climate-neutral by 2050. Today marks another milestone in our transformation towards green logistics,” says Cristina-Maria Danila, Head of Global Supply Chain & Logistics at Covestro.

Covestro and HGK Shipping look back on a long-standing successful collaboration in inland waterway transport and short-sea shipping. At the “transport logistic” trade fair in Munich in 2025, the companies signed an extension of their cooperation until 2040. As part of this partnership, the “Amadeus Titanium” will exclusively transport Covestro products on European short-sea routes.