DHL is expanding its pioneering water-based delivery project in Berlin, launching a second solar-powered ship route along the Spree. The new route runs from Köpenick through several stops — including Rummelsburg Bay — to the Osthafen near the Oberbaumbrücke, with solar-powered DHL parcel stations at each stop.
The first solar ship has been operating between Südhafen Spandau and Westhafen since 2022, already delivering over 300,000 parcels completely emissions-free. Building on that success, DHL and its shipping partner, Solarwaterworld AG, have now put a second, larger vessel into service.
A bigger ship, bigger capacity
The new ship is 19.5 meters long and 5.1 meters wide, capable of carrying up to 1,500 parcels per trip. Rooftop photovoltaic panels generate enough electricity to power propulsion and onboard systems, with battery storage keeping them running for 12–15 hours without sunlight. With two 35 kW motors, it cruises at up to 12 km/h — quietly and with zero emissions.
How it works on the ground
Parcels start their journey at a DHL depot in the Treptow-Köpenick district, where a truck transfers loaded delivery vans to the ship at the Kaisersteg dock in Köpenick. The ship then distributes packages to solar-powered parcel stations along the route. The Berlin Senate — together with the districts of Treptow-Köpenick, Lichtenberg, and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg — is already working to add more parcel station stops, with permits currently in progress.
Part of a broader sustainability push
DHL currently operates around 1,000 electric vehicles and more than 1,700 electric cargo bikes (mainly e-trikes and e-bikes) in Berlin, making CO₂-neutral delivery possible across half the city already. The solar ships fit squarely into the company’s goal of reaching net-zero logistics emissions by 2050.
Berlin’s Senator for Mobility and Climate Protection, Ute Bonde, highlighted the city’s untapped potential: with over 200 kilometers of waterways, Berlin has significant capacity for freight transport that has long gone underused.
The project is also part of A-Swarm II, a research initiative led by the Technical University of Berlin exploring autonomous electric shipping in metropolitan areas, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
Foto: DHL Group/Jens Schluter