Vessels heading to Ukrainian ports to again transit Sulina under USPA queue

Vessels heading through the Sulina Canal to Ukrainian ports will again be allowed to transit according to the queue formed by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA). This restores the transit procedure that has been in place since 2022, Avalon Shipping Operations Manager Kateryna Kononenko said, citing clarification from the Sulina Canal Administration.

The decision followed a report from USPA concerning 10 vessels that headed to Ukrainian ports, including Reni, Orlivka and Izmail, between August 7 and 11 without being included in the priority queue. Following the incidents, the Sulina Canal Administration decided to monitor compliance with the arrangements introduced on May 26, 2022, on a daily basis.

From August 17, vessels bound for Ukrainian ports will transit the canal according to USPA lists within Ukraine’s allocated 40% share of available pilots. The allocation covers traffic to Reni, Izmail, Orlivka and Kiliia.

The distribution of available pilots between destinations remains unchanged. Another 40% is allocated to vessels heading to the Romanian ports of Galati, Braila and Tulcea, while 20% is reserved for Moldova’s Giurgiulesti port.

For vessels heading to Romanian and Moldovan ports, transit through the Sulina Canal will continue to be determined by arrival time and submission of the required documents. For Ukrainian traffic, the return to a centralized USPA queue should help streamline the use of the canal’s limited transit capacity.

Tags: Ukraine, ports, Sulina Canal