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Black Sea Ports & Shipping Conference, the biggest annual container ports and terminal operations exhibition and conference in the Black Sea region, takes place for the first time in Constanta, Romania at the Constanta Trade Fair Centre on 26 - 27 May 2016. This event is hosted by N.C. MARITIME PORTS ADMINISTRATION S.A. CONSTANTA.

The conference programme features 30 world-class conference speakers addressing topical issues and challenges covering global transportation and logistics and will be attended by more than 400 senior executive harbour masters, harbour engineers, port engineers, maintenance supervisors and procurement decision makers together with the region’s leading shippers, cargo owners, importers / exporters, shipping lines, freight forwarders, logistics companies, ports, terminal operating companies, railway operators, port equipment and services suppliers from countries throughout the Black Sea region.

Additionally, there will be commercial opportunities forexhibitors and sponsors to network directly with the delegates at this major annual international maritime transport exhibition and conference.

On 13 November 2014, in Constanta (Romania), the Romanian Maritime Training Centre - CERONAV organised the closing event of the project HINT, an EU co-funded project under the South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme (SEE). The event brought together not only the project partners, but also representatives of the Ministry of Transport, of the SEE Joint Technical Secretariat and national stakeholders with a special interest in education and training of inland nautical personnel. The event celebrated the project outcomes and offered the opportunity to share the most notable experience gained throughout the 2-year-project lifetime.

Several outcomes were delivered such as newly implemented training and assessment IT applications, Danube Knowledge Network (LinkedIn Group) and the development of common transnational concepts. The training and assessment IT applications bring two major solutions such as the self-assessment platform for certification of personnel transporting dangerous cargoes which is available in seven Danube languages and the update of INeS Danube e-learning platform. The INeS platform provides a modern form of education in the field of logistics on inland waterways in the Danube region with particular reference to intermodality. The platform caters to the needs of different target groups, whether pupils or students of educational institutions focusing on logistics, practitioners like shipping companies or the manufacturing industry. Pro Danube contributed to the update of INeS with a LNG e-learning module describing the basic characteristics and benefits of using Liquefied Natural Gas as well as European and worldwide market developments and trends. Another new e-learning module is Ship Waste Management which was implemented in the frame of the CO-WANDA project, EU co-funded project by the South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme.

Another important outcome of the project, the Danube Knowledge Network, represents a cooperation network established during NELI project and extended in HINT project. The network acts as a facilitator for the exchange of knowledge, know-how and skills, best practices and information, various learning materials, transnational actions and strategies in the field of inland waterways transport.

Common transnational concepts for on-board and simulator training via configuration of technical and organisational concepts were developed for the following:

• Danube School Ship focusing on vessel design, proprietary alternatives, blueprints for on-board training sessions, navigation routes, estimated costs and funding options. Pro Danube co-operated and co-ordinated the validation of the proposed concept with the industry. The executive summary can be downloaded from the "downloads & links – pro danube international" section of the Pro Danube website or directly from here. 
• Danube Navigation Simulator which incorporates various types of ships and sets technical performances, visualisation of ship and its surroundings, devices to be simulated  (for. eg. radar, ECDIS, AIS, VHF radio), necessary infrastructure fot the installation of such a simulator as well as training requirements, costs and funding posibilities
• Port Logistics Simulator focusing on competences to be acquired through simulator training, acquisition possibilities, appropriate location and accessibility as well as potential training providers.

More information about the project regarding the work of its consortium and  the overall results of the project can be accessed via: http://www.hintproject.net/

Photo Source: HINT Consortium

Following the industry’s very positive reception of the LNG project database launched in October last year, the site www.inland-navigation.org/observatory/innovation-technologies/lng/ has been upgraded with new functions to become the most comprehensive information platform on the introduction of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as alternative fuel in inland and Wadden Sea navigation.

Henceforth, an interactive map displays all currently operative and planned LNG infrastructures and vessels in Europe. Additionally, a calendar announces upcoming LNG events in the sector. These new functions will make it easier for stakeholders to identify potential partners and synergies. In order to reduce its air pollutant emissions, the shipping industry is increasingly making use of LNG. Thus, four inland vessels with LNG propulsion are already in operation, and more than 25 LNG vessels – for use on inland waterways or the Wadden Sea – are currently under development. With one single click, it is now possible to view the overall state of progress in the implementation of LNG technology.

The project and further development of the LNG platform carried out under the umbrella of CCNR is co-financed by various initiatives, projects and organisation, among others by the LNG Masterplan project with an active involvement of Pro Danube & Port of Rotterdam.

For more details, you may refer to the following press releases which are available for download.

The partners of the international Danube educational project HINT (www.hintproject.net) have discussed the idea of a joint Danube School Ship with potential users and developed a pre-feasibility study. In order to learn the requirements for a school ship in the Danube region, 51 companies and institutions in seven Danube countries have been interviewed, the majority of them being nautical educational institutions, vessel operators, port operators and administrative bodies. The aim of the concept at hand is to establish a framework for the use of a joint Danube School Ship and to build the basis for an actual implementation project. The document describes a feasible manner for the technical, educational and organisational design of such a vessel. More information you may find in the executive summary of the concept or in the document itself. Additionally, a feedback form has been elaborated for interiew purposes.

Danube School Ship - Concept
Danube School Ship - Executive Summary
Danube School Ship - Feedback Form