Traffic information will be collected on a yearly basis covering the Danube Region ports which are part of the DIONYSUS project consortium. These ports will provide updated information on the volumes of the main types of cargo transhipped in their port. The data will be used further by DT 3.3.6 COVID-19 Impact on Danube Ports and will be made available as well by the DPN Handbook.

Statistics will be collected from the following ports with the support of the related partners:

• For Austria: Ennshafen (by Port of Ennshafen), Vienna (by Port of Vienna-ASP)
• Slovakia: Bratislava, Komarno (by Public Ports)
• Hungary: Budapest, Gyor, Dunaújváros (by HFIP)
• Croatia: Vukovar (by PAV)
• Serbia: Novi Sad, Belgrade, Pancevo, Smederevo (by PGA)
• Romania: Orsova, Drobeta Turnu Severin, Giurgiu, Constanta, Galati (by MPAC and APDF-ASP)
• Bulgaria: Vidin, Lom, Ruse, Bulmarket (by POB & BRCCI)
• Moldova: Giurgiulesti (by DANLOG -ASP)
• Ukraine: Reni, Izmail, Kilia (by USPA)

Statistics will be collected by the DPN based on dedicated surveys in 2021 and 2022, covering the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.

COVID-19 Impact on Danube Ports 

The design of this study was guided by several research questions such as: How did various ports took on the crisis? How did the pandemic affect the traffic of cargo and passenger transportation? Were there any restrictions/procedures imposed to ships and crews? What measures were taken to ensure a minimal level of operation and to protect both on-shore and shipboard personnel involved in port calls and cargo handling? The pathway chosen to answer the formulated research questions was to collect first-hand and as detailed as possible data via a questionnaire. A proven data collection instrument, a questionnaire offers several advantages such as the possibility to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, use the internet as a channel of distribution, thus easily reaching out to a wide pool of potential respondents and, last but not least, keep the time-costs for the participants relatively low. The questionnaire designed within this study was distributed twice – once in 2021 to collect data covering the years 2019 and 2020 as well as for a second time in 2022 to collect data for the year 2021. The timeframe under investigation therefore supports a comparative analysis of pre-pandemic periods with periods during the health crisis. 15 ports participated in the survey. 

The study is available for download here.

Danube Ports Handbook

Efficient waterway infrastructure together with high performing ports as regional economic hubs, environmentally friendly and modern inland waterway vessels, an optimum integration of inland waterway transport into the multimodal logistics chains, qualified staff as well as the use of digital services are basic prerequisites for a competitive inland waterborne transport of the future.

Ports represent strategic nodes facilitating cargo flows in international distribution of goods, as a part of an extensive logistic network which enables trade and information flow between different points.

Danube ports have the potential to act as engines of growth in their host cities and regions, being multimodal hubs with varying levels of intermodal facilities, serving as an interface between various transport modes. Of particular importance for Danube transport are the numerous industrial sites that are located along the Danube Corridor. Ports offer sustainable solutions for attracting key industrial players by providing dedicated facilities for manufacturing, processing, and handling of logistics operations, acting as convenient regional business platforms for trade and industry. 

Both editions of the Danube Ports Handbook are based on the results of a survey that was carried out twice amongst the ports of the Danube Region to collect information on port traffic in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic covering the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. While Danube shipping is closely correlated with developments in the global and regional economy, the average number of port calls, as well as the amount of handled products and traffic in passenger transport, generated useful insights into the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Danube navigation. The survey furthermore touched upon topics linked to procedural restrictions that have impaired a smooth transport flow.

The first edition of the Danube Ports Handbook, published in December 2021, is available for download here.

The second edition of the Danube Ports Handbook, published in October 2022, is available for download here.