Kiev, European Commission to hold consultations on deepening Ukraine's Danube canal
MOSCOW. May 31 (Interfax) - Ukraine will soon start consultations with the European Commission, Romania and signatories to international environmental conventions on increasing the depth of its Danube shipping canal to 7.2 meters, similar to Romania's Sulina branch, Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Yury Vaskov told Ukraine's media.
"This move will make it possible to significantly enhance the throughput capacity of Ukrainian ports and create better conditions for navigation on the Danube River, as a result bringing cargo turnover at Danube ports to 32-35 million tonnes a year," Vaskov said.
Ukraine plans to work to make its Danube shipping canal deeper exclusively in close cooperation with international partners and in compliance with all environmental protection standards and international conventions, he said.
"It will be possible to confirm that depth extension efforts will be carried out only after we have held relevant consultations and agree the action plan with the European Commission, Romanian colleagues and signatory countries to international environmental conventions," Vaskov said.
The consultations are expected to start as soon as this year, he added.
Ukrainian Prime Minister and Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Alexander Kubrakov said earlier that cargo transshipment at Danube ports may grow to 20 million tonnes by the end of 2023, compared to 16 million tonnes last year, which thrice exceeds the pre-crisis amount.
Despite problems, the ports of Izmail and Reni have been deepened, every declared characteristic of the ports and canals has been restored, and the draft currently stands at 6.5 meters, Kubrakov said.
Essential port infrastructure has been provided, alongside new flows of containers, bulk, grain and other cargo. More than 20 terminals have been put into operation. New reloading technologies are being applied: there are floating cranes, mobile reloaders, lighters, storage vessels used as floating warehouses, etc. New temporary warehouses equipped with scales and laboratories have been built in the ports.