Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company carries out first delivery of European grain via Middle Danube

MOSCOW. Nov 22 (Interfax) - First convoys of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company (UDP) carrying European grain are preparing to be unloaded in Romania's Constanta, UDP said.

"The pilot voyages were complicated as they coincided with the shallow-water period. And yet the new logistical route has proven successful even in these conditions," Ukrainian media quoted UDP as saying on its social account.

The voyages to the Middle Danube area took about one month. The convoys were loaded with ore in Ukraine to deliver it to Serbia's Smederevo, where they were unloaded and washed to travel up the river to Hungary, where they were loaded with grain to carry it to Constanta, it said.

"We are quite satisfied with the profitability of the shipments. Unlike the 'old UDP, the 'new UDP' works directly with the freight owners, which are a major metallurgical plant in Europe and a major international grain trader. In addition, fuel consumption and compliance with the sailing direction was monitored online throughout the entire voyages," it said.

If UDP convoys could operate 24/7, this would reduce the roundtrip time by about a week, thus making the shipments 20% more profitable, it said.

Operating 24/7 requires the presence of three category C ship pilots on the crew. Despite the regular shortage of ship pilots on the Danube, the UDP has already managed to build up such crews, it said.