The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority has put out a request for proposals worth Hr 14.2 million to repair part of its dredging fleet.
The authority said in a statement on Jan. 25 that it is looking to perform maintenance on six vessels, including tugboats, service boats, a dredging unit and a crane. The government enterprise wants to eventually repair 20 dredging vessels, with the goal of putting this fleet to work deepening Ukraine’s waterways to improve internal commerce.
This is part of a drive by Ukraine’s Infrastructure Ministry to improve the country’s river transportation system to bolster commerce and take some pressure off Ukraine’s roads.
“This year, the USPA plans to allocate about HR 150 million to repair the fleet received from state enterprise Ukrvodshlyah (Ukrwaterway),” stated USPA director Raivis Veckagans. “We invite both Ukrainian and international companies to participate in the bidding. Restoration of this specialized equipment will significantly increase USPA’s fleet’s inland waterway dredging capacity.”
The requests for proposal are available via the public electronic procurement site Prozorro.
The USPA’s current dredging fleet has 26 vessels that it acquired from Ukrvodshlyah in 2018.
The USPA in 2018 announced plans to perform capital and maintenance dredging works across Ukrainian ports, canals and inland waterways, to remove millions of cubic meters of matter, according to media reports.
Ukraine’s seaports and natural waterways give it a big potential trading advantage. The Dnipro River — fourth longest in Europe — bisects the country, meandering far into the east before looping back west to spill into the Black Sea. Four out of the European Union’s 10 international transport corridors, as designated by the European Commission, pass through Ukraine.
Despite this, the country’s water transportation has been neglected since Ukraine became independent. Without investment, its sea exports are lagging and its rivers carry only a trickle of its growing grain production.
