Transport is considered one of the main causes of negative environmental impacts. These relate in particular to the emission of local air pollutants and global greenhouse gases, noise and land consumption due to the required infrastructure. In all these areas, the inland waterway vessel has advantages and are to be strengthened by the present program. Inland navigation is characterized by very high mass performance, energy efficiency, safety, low noise pollution and low infrastructure costs. Inland navigation can further reduce the external costs (generated by itself) by investing in sustainable modernization measures. However, it can also contribute to reducing the external costs of the transport system in general and to relieving road and rail infrastructure through modal shift. To achieve this, the present funding program aims to increase the competitiveness of inland navigation through efficiency improvements and adaptations of the fleet, thereby achieving modal shifts.
With this funding, the BMK intends to provide an attractive financial incentive for the sustainable modernization of inland navigation as a contribution to achieving Austria's environmental goals and strengthening the Austrian economy.
The funding is intended to provide targeted incentives for investments in emission-reducing technologies and measures in freight and passenger shipping that go beyond applicable climate and environmental protection-specific Union standards. The promotion of energy-efficient technologies and measures represent another focus of the directive. In addition, measures to shift goods to waterways can also be promoted.
Funding is available for measures to increase efficiency and reduce CO2 and air pollutant emissions from inland vessels, as well as adaptations to shift transport to inland vessels. Details can be found in the Special Directive for the funding of climate and environmentally friendly shipping [only in german].
The funding program runs from 1 June 2022 to 31 December 2026 and is carried out in the form of calls. Two calls are planned per year. Submissions are generally possible in the period from mid-January to mid-March as well as in September of 2024, 2025 and 2026. The exact submission deadlines will be announced on the website in good time.
Applications and all enclosures must be written in German and submitted to viadonau in digital form or by Post. The application form can be found in the download-area.
viadonau will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the funding program.
The funding program is managed by via donau – Österreichische Wasserstraßen-Gesellschaft mbH.
The funding program is part of the bundle of measures of the Mobility Master Plan 2030 on the way to climate-neutral transport by 2040 and significantly contributes to the implementation of the work package 9 “Supporting the conversion to climate-neutral/climate-friendly fuels and propulsion systems in Danube navigation” of the BMK Danube action program 2030.
