IWW cargo throughput is limited due to the state of waterways. For example, in 2020, water transport carried 8 million tonnes of cargo while the Grain Strategy foresees the increase of grain transportation by inland water ways to 14-15 million tonnes by 2035. However, it is only possible to transport 40% of the planned volume due to the bottlenecks on the Don river. Completion of the Bagayevsky hydrosystem by 2023-2024 according to the plans will let fully use throughput capacity of the fleet. Debottlenecking of the Gorodetsky section on the Volga river and extension of the navigation period in the Southern basins (Caspian and Azov ones) provides hope for renaissance of Russia’s inland water transport.
Cargo owners taking part in the conference expressed their deep interest in using inland water transport for grain transportation.
According to Aleksey Klyavin, Russia’s river fleet with its current ships and deadweight can carry twice as much cargo along inland water ways if infrastructure projects are implemented and the parameters of waterway are recovered. The President of Russian Chamber of Shipping believes that shifting of cargo flows to water transport would ensure hundreds of millions of rubles for the country economy in the 10-year perspective due to the growth of shipbuilding. About 800 river ships worth about one trillion of rubles are to be built by 2035. Taking into account the experience of Europe, efficient development of inland water ways is impossible without the state support. Therefore, the interest to the new national project “Development of inland water transport” is very high.