Tharsis Ship Management has secured funding from the EU Innovation Fund for the eSeaRiverBarge Project. The project covers the development, construction, and operational deployment of two first-of-a-kind zero-emission sea-river container vessels.

The vessels will feature a dedicated storage hold for 16 swappable ISO energy containers. These containers can house a wide range of energy carriers, such as batteries, hydrogen or ammonia. They are combined with wind-assisted propulsion units, hull air lubrication, a triple electric propulsion setup, and an optimized hull design for combining seagoing capabilities with the ability to navigate rivers during low-water periods.

In this project, the swappable energy containers will be ZESpacks: battery-based units provided by Zero Emission Services under its Energy- and Charging-as-a-Service (ECaaS) model. This enables emission-free operations on the inland trajectory between the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, with efficient battery swaps at charging stations eliminating downtime. The use of ZESpacks at sea will be scaled up over the course of the operational period.

The project demonstrates the first-of-a-kind zero-emission container liner service for sea-river shipping — a niche market that offers direct, seamless transport between European seaports and inland terminals — reducing greenhouse gas emissions in freight transport and supporting the EU’s climate goals for maritime and inland waterways. It strengthens sea-river shipping as a sustainable alternative to road transport and paves the way for scaling the ECaaS model across short-sea shipping in Europe. Construction is scheduled to start in early 2027, with the first vessel entering service in 2029.