Rotterdam-based Verenigde Tankrederij (VT Group) has acquired all shares in industry peer Fluvia from the existing shareholders with immediate effect. Through the acquisition, VT Group adds nineteen transport vessels to its fleet, including ten stainless-steel tankers for chemical transport and nine vessels for mineral cargoes.
The Dutch tanker shipping company VT Group was founded in 1932 and specialises in bunkering, fleet management and the transport of mineral oils, chemical products, (bio)fuels and lubricants. Its fleet comprises over fifty vessels, including the MTS Vorstenbosch, the world’s largest inland tanker. VT operates globally, with a focus on the ARA region, the Rhine riparian states, Sweden, Spain, Panama and the Middle East. Following the acquisition, VT Group’s total transport capacity on the Rhine and related waterways grows to 29 vessels.
Fluvia is a shipping company specialising in the transport of liquid cargoes such as mineral oils, biofuels and chemicals. It operates a modern fleet of inland tankers, primarily active on the Rhine and its tributaries. Fluvia’s more than 140 employees will join VT Group.
According to Fluvia director Alcuin de Weert, the companies share the same vision and values in terms of safety, quality, reliability and sustainability, making the partnership a natural fit.
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Better position in European market
The acquisition enables both companies to respond more flexibly to the needs of their customers, including major oil and chemical groups. VT Group owner Niels Groenewold says he is proud of the acquisition, noting that it significantly strengthens the company’s position in its European home market. He adds that VT’s reputation for reliability, under the motto “zero spills”, aligns well with Fluvia’s “peak performance” philosophy.
Fluvia has grown strongly in recent years, Groenewold notes, and as an entity within VT Group, the company will be able to continue expanding more rapidly under its own name.
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