PDI’s initiative proposal for an LNG Masterplan for the Rhine-Main-Danube, which was submitted within the TEN-T Programme was suggested by the EC for funding and adopted by the Member States Committee on the 11th of July 2013. This is great success for the LNG Masterplan Project Partners, taking into consideration that the competition was considerable and only less than a quarter of the requested funding was approved.
The project however suffered a budget reduction with regard to pilot deployments whose implementation was considered to be time-critical for the overall project implementation. This will require that the project budget is renegotiated with the relevant project partners, which have been already initiated by PDI and the Port of Rotterdam as Project Coordinators. The final contractual procedures which include the council decision are expected to be closed in November/December this year.
The LNG project was also selected to be presented on the
TEN-T Days 2013: Connecting Europe – On the move to the new TEN-T in Tallinn (15-18 October), which is the major political event for EU transport infrastructure policy. Right after this political launch of the project the practical implementation of the project will kick-off.
The LNG Masterplan project shall prepare the framework for the use of LNG as fuel and as a cargo on the Rhine-Main-Danube axis and will lead to the deployment of several LNG fuelled vessels and bunker facilities. This will be the first step into a full scale use of LNG as environmentally friendly and cost-effective fuel for inland navigation. The project also represents an example of how public and private funding can be combined to implement sustainable projects of common interest.
On 28 March 2013 PDI addressed the Romanian Minister for Transport, Mr Relu Fenechiu, with regard to the difficulties that shipping operators face as a consequence to the limited opening hours at the customs office in the Port of Cernavoda as well as in other Romanian inland ports. The restrictions in working hours, services are usually available from Monday to Friday 08.00-16.00 hrs, cause additional financial costs due to time losses, especially if convoys arrive during weekends and consequently have to wait until Monday to be inspected. PDI requested on behalf of its members to revise and to improve this situation.
On 24 May we received a positive answer from Undersecretary of State, Mr Constantin Matei. Mr Matei informed that as consequence of our request, customs authorities at the Port of Cernavoda will from now on be available also during week-ends, if they are called three hours in advance by the shipping operator or its agent. This service shall be provided under the condition that the shipping operator organises the transport of the customs officer from Constanta South to the Port of Cernavoda and back again. The service line for making the pre-arrangements is as follows: + 40 241 601 182.
The new arrangement was made possible through the strong personal engagement of Undersecretary of State, Mr Matei, who negotiated the solution with the Romanian Ministry of Finance. We therefore would like to express our gratitude to him.
On the 3rd of May 2013, Pro Danube International (PDI) addressed VP Kallas and CM Hahn with a request to ensure in advance inland waterways maintenance measures on the Danube. The letter calls upon the Ministerial Declaration on effective inland waterways maintenance on the Danube from June 7th, 2012 and the results of the subsequent survey on the current waterway maintenance measures undertaken by the Danube countries. The survey clearly showed that some Danube waterway administrations have no budgets for waterway maintenance, which is one of the primary reasons for traffic problems on the Danube during low water periods.
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the Recognition and the modernisation of professional qualifications in inland navigation. The main goal of the consultation is to gather stakeholder information concerning this topic, which will then help to shape improved labour mobility policies for the EU inland navigation sector and thus contribute to better quality jobs and harmonised recognition and certification systems. The consultation is open to inland waterways transport of persons and goods and all the relevant industry and related stakeholders.
Considering the importance of qualified personnel in the inland navigation sector, we encourage all interested stakeholders to take active part in this EC Consultation. All information relevant to the consultation is available online under:
