GEFO is continuing to expand its inland gas tanker operations after agreeing to acquire the gas shipping activities of Swiss operator Unigas Shipping in a deal covering seven vessels.
The Hamburg-based company said the transaction, structured as an asset deal, is expected to be completed between June and July 2026.
The acquisition package includes three operational gas tankers that have already been trading for around two years, as well as four additional newbuildings currently under construction in China. These new vessels are scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027.
The existing tankers are 135 metres long with a beam of 11.45 metres, while the incoming newbuildings will be slightly smaller at 110 metres in length but maintain the same beam.
With this move, GEFO is strengthening its position in the inland gas tanker market at a time when operators across the Rhine and the broader Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) corridor are investing heavily in more flexible and modern tonnage capable of operating in low-water conditions and meeting increasingly strict environmental requirements.
Unigas Shipping, the Swiss arm of UniBarge, operates inland gas tankers transporting products such as butane, propane and ammonia across waterways linking the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.
Daniel Wanders, chief executive of UniBarge, said GEFO was well placed to integrate the fleet into its wider operations.
“GEFO has extensive expertise in the gas tanker segment and can optimally integrate the vessels into its existing fleet,” he said. “With this sale, we will focus on expanding our core business in the future.”
For GEFO, the deal is also part of a broader renewal strategy aimed at modernising its inland fleet.
“These modern tankers contribute to the further rejuvenation of our fleet,” said Sven von Appen, managing director at GEFO. “By acquiring these vessels, we are investing in our future flexibility and resilience in times of low water.”
Founded in Hamburg in 1961, GEFO operates around 150 inland tankers across Europe, covering chemical, mineral oil and gas transport along the Rhine and through the ARA chemical hub. In recent years, the company has steadily upgraded its fleet through a series of newbuilding investments, with additional vessels ordered in 2024 and scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2028.
