According to the directive of the Harbour Master of Berdiansk sea port, the declared draft of the approach channel, the water area and the area near the berths has been resumed to 7.90 m since 00:00 o’clock on June 02, 2020, Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority says in a press release.
It was possible owing to the large-scale maintenance dredging carried out by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority in Berdiansk sea port for the recent nine months. The dredging works provided for enlarging the channel draft in Berdiansk sea port, and respectively increase the shipload up to 800 tonnes (additionally), enhancing the competitiveness of Berdiansk sea port and Ukrainian export as a whole, and decreasing the cost of logistics and production.
The maintenance dredging in Berdiansk sea port started in late August 2019. According to the open tender conducted in ProZorro procurement system, the maintenance dredging was carried out by the Specialized Technical Bureau AZIMUTH LLC. The total scope of dredging works in Berdiansk sea port made 1.85 million cubic meters under the Agreement. The major works (1.39 million cubic meters) were carried out within the approach channel, and 466 thousand cubic meters – within the water area. For now, the works have been fully completed.
The major part of works was carried out by the multi-bucket dredger DUNAY with three barges and a hopper dredger UMD HERCULES. Separate areas of the channel were processed by both the contractor’s fleet and the dredge-pump MEOTIDA, owned by the Delta-Pilot branch of USPA.
In 2019, cargo turnover of stevedoring companies operating in Berdiansk sea port made 2 million tonnes, when the channel draft was 7.70 meters. At the draft of 7.90 meters, the cargo handling is forecasted to increase up to 2.50 million tonnes per year.
Berdiansk sea port is allowed to accept vessels with the draft of 7.90 m according to the passport. The length of the approach channel at Berdiansk sea port is 20 km, the width is 90 m, the sediment accumulation of the channel is 720 thousand cubic meters per year, the sediment accumulation of the water area is 300 thousand cubic meters per year. The design depth of the water area and areas near the berths is 8.40 meters, of the approach channel – 8.55 meters.
The channel draft at Berdiansk sea port was constrainedly reduced to 7.50 meters in 2014. It reached 7.70 m after a partial dredging in October 2016.