Transport via channels the same as in 1913 - New sustainable transport of goods model initiated

DTD Channel

While waiting for construction of kilometer per kilometer of key roads through Serbia so that transport of goods would speed up and become cheaper, our country has a channel network of some 300 kilometers. Although features of water way are convenient, exploitation is minimal.

Last year, transport and overloading in the channel network hardly went over 400.000 tons which is approximately quantity the same as in 1993 when sanctions were effective. That was the quantity of goods in 1913, at the old channel Bezdan-Becej, 120 km long, today integrated in the Danube-Tisa-Danube hydro system.

Ivan Jovanovic, Secretary of the Provincial Secretariat for Water Traffic, in his interview for eKapija is speaking about reason for decrease in channel network transport during the past years.

- The channel network was designed for transport and overloading of some 7 million tons of goods. The largest quantity was transported in 1979; more than 4 million tons while today the figure is ten times lower. Out of 600 km of the channel network, we still have convenient features of water way on some 300 kilometers of main channels which points out that channel maintenance is not the key trouble spot and that causes of directing inner transport to road traffic go deeper, most of all referring to lack of adequate fleet as well appropriate overloading and storage infrastructure – Jovanovic explains.

According to our collocutor, six companies carry out transport of stone and sand via channel network. One of them is specialized in transport of oil derivatives and one is mostly deals with wood transport.

- A few companies transport via channel network. It is important to point out that businessmen are interested in setting up smaller docks inside the channel network which indicates perspective of water transport in the future.

With respect to kinds of goods transported via channels, there is pebbles,sand and stone, with more than 90%. The rest goes to oil derivatives, wood andother goods.

- Structure of transported goods is based on construction material, especially for civil engineering construction, in terms of halt in construction field and lack of important infrastructure projects, it is being pointed out to causes of significant decrease in water transport by channel network– Jovanovic mentions.

Transport of agricultural products as the strategic product in Vojvodina, does not exceed 1% of total good transport via channel network.

DEM Kulpin, is the only company which actively carries out transport of crops and agricultural products via the channel network from it sown dock at the DTD channel.

- Our dock is located at the channel which joins the Danube at the entrance in Novi Sad, on 26th kilometer. We load soy grain and corn mostly for Germany and we import soybean and mineral fertilizers - Jarmila Dovicinfrom DEM Kulpin says in her interview for Kapija.

Quantities transported now via the channel network, have not reached planned ones when DEM Kuplin constructed the dock in 2005.

Loading in DEM Kulpin dock (Photo: www.demkulpin.com)

- One of the reasons for decreased transport in comparison to planned one that there is distrust of foreign companies when it comes to transport through channel network of Serbia. Apart from that, in order to join national waters, somebody should pull the lighter. Companies which deal with tug boats are not reliable. We are not sure where tug boats are or when they will arrive. We are planning to invest in equipment, i.e. a tug boat facility and we expect transport quantity to increase – Dovicin explains.

Our collocutor mentions that water traffic is more remunerative and that they would have to transport goods from Luka Novi Sad if they did not have their own dock.

Sustainable transport model

Apart from strategic goods of Vojvodina such as agricultural products and oil derivatives, bio mass has huge options to be transported.

Considering that along with wooden mass, pebbles and sand, sugar beam is goods which causes the biggest road infrastructure damages, our collocutor agree that transfer of transport of this agricultural product to the channel network has big potential.

- Water transport would be very useful in transporting sugar beams. Today, it is carried out by roads, huge traffic jams are generated and roads are damaged - Jarmila Dovicin points out.

Adequate fleet and new transport model are essential for better channel network transport. The Provincial Secretariat for Economy, Employment and Gender Equality suggested some solutions and, as they say, implementation of ideas has already started.

- The analysis of goods flow has been carried out and in line with it, target market was defined in line with kinds of goods. Projects of new vessels have been initiated based on transport model adapted to channel network features and applicable even more lager river waterways. The educational center for supplementary education and qualification was set up. Here, we are planning to support staff training for some vocations related to this field we consider deficit,especially a welder because we estimate we will need it in perspective of the new fleet construction – Jovanovic said.

The collocutor of eKapija says that through PC Vode Vojvodine and in cooperation with the Technical faculty in Novi Sad, initiated activities for setting up new dock network in DTD hydro system as well as the project of information-communication channel network coverage.

When it comes to new vessels which are necessary for suggested new transport model Jovanovic says that the basic feature of these vessels is based on the new overloading concept, small depth and smaller dimensions.

- Our vision is to affirm combined RoRo transport through this kind of transport system as well as new vessels for oil derivatives transport which would, apart from transport function, have the purpose of a water storage with specially designed positions. It must be taken into consideration that construction of the new fleet for the transport of dangerous load is imposed with new standards which in local, already aged, will not allow sail outside our country. We have shipyard capacities which need job as well as experts we are in contacts and with whom we have already been cooperating on development of new projects.

Shot from the Mitelland channel in Germany showing frequency of highly developed water transport

When it comes to profitable aspect of transport channels, our collocutor says that calculation fro companies dealing with shipyard as well as for companies operating in transport storage and trade of oil derivatives is visible and upcoming while for others, rational combined transport would be justified through transport service price in the long run.

Cooperation with countries in the region

If Serbia is planning to develop combined transport, cooperation with countries in the region is essential.

- We alone do not have sufficient quantities of goods convenient and packed for combined transport. Neither our neighbors have them. At the same time, we all have similar typical water currents of small average depths –channel network, the Tisa, the Begej, the Sava and the Drava, which, however,reach very distant areas in Hungary, Bosnian and Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania while the Vojvodna region is obliged to develop water traffic and actively participate in the new transport concept since it has thick water easy from 1 km to 21 km2,with 80 settlements which go out to the channel network and the position on Corridor VII. We are familiar that the European institutions have already been researching new options in the inner water traffic which led them to conclusion on the need for construction of the new transport fleet. We have already established certain level of cooperation in agreement with authorities of the Province and we are planning to develop them. Shipyards and qualified experts we have, relying thus on everybody willing to cooperated in the mentioned direction, are our entrance ticket into the new transport model whose limits are difficult to measure.

Suzana Obradovic