Global logistics service provider, Rhenus Logistics has ticked off a milestone for its inland waterway shipping company operating in the Czech Republic, Rhenus PartnerShip-CSPL.

The first Czech inland waterway shipping company, CSPL, was founded North of Prague, in the town of Děčín in June 1922. This joint venture between the private and public sector originally specialised in the handling and forwarding of goods and freight. In the 1950’s the company made the switch from steam-powered to motor vessels, then, in the 1970s, enhanced its fleet with pusher crafts. At this time, CSPL owned ports and shipyards along the Elbe river, all the way to Hamburg.

After CSPL’s privatisation in 1989, a new firm, CSPL A.S.,was established by the international freight forwarding company, Argo, in 2002. Since being taken over by the Rhenus Group in 2018, the company operates under the name Rhenus PartnerShip-CSPL, and is still headquartered in Děčín. Absorption by the Rhenus Group has led to high investment levels in the PartnerShip-CSPL fleet.

The group transports goods via the inland waterways of Central Europe, especially the German canal network and the river Elbe. In the last year, Rhenus PartnerShip-CSPL transported 315,753 tonnes of goods. The group primarily transports bulk, heavy goods, general cargo, and both investment and construction parts.

In the near future, Rhenus PartnerShip-CSPL is aiming to both expand its fleet and its sustainability.