Danube ports handled a record 29 million tons of cargo in 2023

This is an increase of almost 6 times compared to the pre-war period

Ukrainian ports of the Danube Cluster handled a record 29 million tons of cargo in 2023. This is 2 times more than in the previous year and 6 times more than by 2021. This was stated by Yuriy Lytvyn, Chairman of the State Enterprise Ukrainian Sea Ports Administration (USPA).

«In the conditions of the unstable security situation in the Black Sea, the Danube ports remained one of the most reliable export routes. That is why a large part of the effort was aimed at optimizing the operation of these ports,» he comments.

The number of treated ships doubled last year to 13.04 thousand units compared to 8.94 thousand in 2022. The main cargoes processed during the year are:

• grain – 14.1 million tons;
• oil – 2.6 million tons;
• petroleum products – 1.4 million tons;
• ore – 1.7 million tons;
• other cargoes – 9 million tons.

«Together with the business, we launched 23 transshipment points in 2023 and are implementing 15 more such investment projects in the ports of Izmail and Reni. In 2022-2023, we dredged 3.33 million cubic meters, which helped to significantly increase the number of vessels passing through. The number of pilotage staff was increased. In the port of Rennes, 22 seagoing vessels and 40 barges were simultaneously located at the berths,» Yuriy Lytvyn noted.

AMPU’s priorities for 2024 include maintaining passport depths, digitalizing processes in the Danube ports, combining them into one common dispatch system with the ports of Greater Odesa, repairing roads and railways, international cooperation under RDNA 3, etc.

In 2023, the ports of Odesa region increased cargo transshipment by 15% y/y – up to more than 50 million tons. More than 400 vessels have been loaded in Odesa region since the corridors were launched.

«For the most part, it was the export of agricultural products, which was intended for various countries of the world, including Egypt, China, the USA, Tunisia, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Algeria, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Belgium,» the head of Odesa OVA Oleg Kiper said.

As GMK Center reported earlier, almost 15 million tons of cargo exported through the Ukrainian maritime corridor in 5 months of operation (from August 2023). Of them, 10 million tons are agricultural products, another 5 million tons are other cargo, including those from the iron and steel complex.