Ukraine is beginning to modernize the river fleet of the Danube Shipping Company together with international partners. This was stated by the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine, UNN reports.
The river fleet of the Danube Shipping Company has an average age of over 40 years. In order to continue operating the Ukrainian fleet in the EU, it is urgently needed to overhaul the self-propelled vessels and replace the engines with more environmentally friendly and energy efficient ones. Last year, we signed an agreement with IFC in London aimed at attracting investments for these purposes. Today, we have signed a contract with Austrian company ÖSWAG to modernize the first five vessels of this series. ... We believe that in cooperation we will be able to make the fleet more modern and reliable.
Details
According to the agency, preparatory work on the vessels intended for modernization will be carried out in Ukraine at the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company (UDP) plant. The actual engine replacement will take place in Austria.
The Ministry of Reconstruction noted. The first ship of the Captain Antipov type is already being prepared for shipment to Austria.
ÖSWAG, the Austrian company that will renovate Ukrainian ships, has extensive experience in modernizing the old Danube fleet, both cargo and passenger.
The agency has estimated that the economic effect of such improvements for just one vessel per year will be more than €800,000 and 20-25% of fuel savings. It will also help reduce repair downtime and the cost of finding and purchasing spare parts.
The Ministry of Reconstruction emphasized that Japanese Mitsubishi engines were contracted under the agreement. There are certified companies in Ukraine that can provide their service. They are to be delivered to the ÖSWAG plant in April.
It is noted that the new engines must be retrofitted to meet Stage5 environmental requirements.
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Along with the project to modernize the first 5, negotiations are underway to modernize other series of self-propelled vessels.
According to Oleksandr Kubrakov, the strategic goal is to modernize the entire UDP traction fleet, which includes 45 vessels (25 are currently in operation and another 20 are in reserve).