Because of the enormous size and weight of wind turbines inland waterway transport is the advisable transport option. In 2003, 30 wind turbines destined for the wind park in Zurndorf, in the Austrian province of Burgenland, were transported from Germany to Austria. Within 14 days, large components of the wind turbines – tower sections and generators – were carried from Magdeburg to Vienna via the Elbe-Havel Canal and the Danube and were unloaded at Freudenau Port. The terminal road haulage and the erection of the wind turbines in Zurndorf were organised by the Austrian forwarder Prangl GmbH, which also provided the required special cranes.

The unit weight of the load was between 30 and 65 tonnes, its diameter was 4.2 metres and its length amounted to 98 metres. An inland navigation vessel can load three complete turbines. 10 medium-sized inland navigation vessels being able to pass through the German canals were used for this transport. Inland waterway transport reduces potential damage to the high-value structures, and transport schedules can be better adhered to, since there are usually no obstructions to transport on waterways. However, in most cases speed is less essential for this kind of transports than their reliability and the safety of the valuable freight. Inland navigation can meet exactly these requirements