Vessels unable to reach Ukrainian Danube ports due to congestion at Sulina

Around 80 vessels are waiting to pass through the Sulina Canal, complicating operations at Ukrainian Danube ports and creating additional costs for exporters. Despite port infrastructure being ready to handle cargo, vessels cannot reach berths on time due to significant delays at the canal approaches. This was reported by Kateryna Kononenko, Operations Manager at Avalon Shipping.

According to Kononenko, three berths at the port of Reni were available the previous day, while vessels continued waiting at the Sulina anchorage. Cargoes were ready for shipment, and port operators were prepared to begin loading operations. However, limited capacity along the route is preventing vessels from reaching Ukrainian ports on time, leaving transshipment facilities idle.

The distance from the Sulina anchorage to Ukrainian Danube ports is approximately 70 nautical miles, but long queues are causing substantial delays along this route. As a result, cargo operations are being postponed, while charterers face additional demurrage charges and other logistics costs. According to Kononenko, part of this financial burden is ultimately passed on to Ukrainian agricultural producers and exporters, increasing the cost of export shipments.

The scale of the problem is illustrated by the amount of vessel capacity effectively sitting idle while awaiting passage through the canal. According to calculations by the Avalon Shipping representative, assuming an average vessel deadweight of around 5 thsd tons, a queue of 80 vessels represents approximately 400 thsd tons of unused shipping capacity. This capacity could otherwise be used to transport Ukrainian cargoes and support Danube port operations, but remains unavailable due to shipping delays.

Kateryna Kononenko emphasized that the Danube should remain one of Ukraine’s key export routes, but current delays are significantly reducing its efficiency. The situation, in which Ukrainian ports have available berths and cargoes ready for shipment but cannot receive vessels, creates additional logistics constraints. Prolonged waiting times at Sulina increase transportation costs and weaken the competitiveness of Ukrainian exports.

Tags: Danube, Sulina Canal, shipping