Sogestran to acquire Reederei Jaegers' liquid bulk inland waterway transport subsidiary
French group Sogestran has finalised a deal to acquire German company Reederei Jaegers, which specialises in the inland waterway transport of liquid bulk cargoes, in the first quarter of 2025.
The transaction will enable the Sogestran Group to become the biggest European player in inland waterway liquid freight transport, with a significant presence on the main European waterways, more than 200 vessels (self-propelled units, pushers and barges) and more than 500 crew members.
"After a thorough analysis and careful consideration, the Jaegers and Valentin families have decided to sell the German company Reederei Jaegers to the French group Sogestran in order to fully focus on their gas activities with the Dutch company Chemgas Shipping," commented Gunther Jaegers, Managing Partner of the Reederei Jaegers Group.
The Sogestran group is the market leader in river freight transport in France, present on the Seine, the Rhône and the Loire, through its various subsidiaries and in particular the CFT - Compagnie Fluviale de Transport.
Specialising in dangerous goods, containers, heavy lift, dry bulk and non-DNA liquid bulk, the group said it is preparing for the markets of tomorrow, including liquid CO2, bio and e-fuels such as hydrogen, methanol or ammonia, and new chemicals.
In 2023, 20 per cent of Sogestran's inland waterway business's turnover was generated at the European level through its subsidiaries Camaro (containers on the Rhine), CFT Danube (fuels between Austria and Serbia), CFT Luxembourg (biofuels in Belgium) and its joint ventures Asphatrans (transport of bitumen on the Rhine in a 50/50 partnership with Reederei Jaegers), and LNG Shipping (transport of conventional fuels and LNG in the ZARA zone in a 50/50 partnership with Victrol).
Reederei Jaegers specialises in the inland waterway transport of mineral oils, bitumen and chemicals on the Rhine and the canals connected to the Rhine.
Under the impetus of the majority shareholder Gunther Jaegers, the Jaegers and Valentin families, historical shareholders of the Reederei Jaegers group, said they wanted to put their liquid river division Reederei Jaegers up for sale, and keep the Chemgaz gas division.
