GRENDEL

The project aimed to support Danube vessel operators and their public counterparts in the ecological and economic modernisation of the inland navigation sector, as well as in the definition and deployment of necessary transition measures. Dedicated activities raised awareness among Danube fleet operators and other stakeholders about the impact of new regulations, advanced technologies reducing air pollutants and energy consumption of inland vessels, and improved transport and logistics management processes supported by digitalisation.

In parallel, GRENDEL supported ministries and public authorities in developing public support measures (State Aid schemes) based on the investment priorities of relevant Danube inland waterway fleet operators.

Improving the environmental and economic performance of the Danube fleet was the overall goal of the GRENDEL project. It sought to achieve greater 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.

GRENDEL addressed various aspects of fleet modernisation:

the use of low-carbon and alternative fuels,
the reduction of air pollutant emissions (CO₂, NOₓ, PM), and
overall energy consumption.

In addition, transport and logistics management processes were tackled to ensure better integration of the Danube IWT into logistics chains through new services (including River Information Services), digital data provision, and dedicated tools to improve fleet efficiency.

Project background

The GRENDEL project was co-funded by European Union Funds (ERDF, IPA) under the Danube Transnational Programme and ran for 30 months (June 2018 – November 2020). It was implemented by a transnational consortium of 13 co-funded organisations and 10 associated strategic partners (including ministries of transport, vessel operators and their associations, and authorities) from seven Danube countries. The project had a total budget of EUR 1,824,999.20, of which the ERDF contribution amounted to EUR 1,481,137.05 and the IPA contribution to EUR 70,112.25.

The project factsheet could be downloaded here. More information is available at: www.interreg-danube.eu/grendel