NIBULON is proposing the introduction of a transitional mechanism for obtaining qualification documents for river fleet specialists. The measure could partially ease staffing shortages on the Danube and allow more effective use of the existing fleet. According to the company, across the Danube export corridor such a solution could provide up to 100,000 tonnes of additional cargo capacity per month.
With the operation of seaports restricted, the Danube is once again becoming one of the key alternative routes for Ukrainian exports. Ukraine already has the necessary infrastructure and fleet in the region, but the corridor’s actual capacity is currently constrained, in particular, by a shortage of qualified crew members.
The shortage is partly procedural. For specialists who need to obtain a new qualification or undergo retraining to work on inland waterways, existing procedures do not fully allow them to quickly obtain all the necessary documents and join international shipping operations on the Danube.
As a result, shipowners have vessels that are technically ready for operation but are unable to fully staff their crews and bring additional vessels into service.
“NIBULON could deploy an additional 12 tugboats on the Danube, but to do so we need to resolve the issue of retraining and obtaining the necessary documents for around 30 specialists. And we are not the only company facing this constraint. If an effective mechanism for engaging qualified specialists is established across the industry, the Danube corridor could handle up to an additional 100,000 tonnes of cargo per month,” said NIBULON Logistics Director Serhii Kalkutin.
The company is proposing a temporary transitional mechanism for granting and confirming the qualifications of river fleet specialists and issuing the necessary documents until the full transition to European regulations is completed.
The proposal involves establishing a workable procedure for specialists who have the necessary training and experience but are currently unable to quickly complete the documentation required to work on the Danube.
“Every additional 100,000 tonnes of capacity provided by the Danube corridor represents an opportunity to support purchases from agricultural producers, generate foreign currency revenues and make the entire export system more resilient. When the country already has the necessary infrastructure, fleet and trained personnel, it is important to remove regulatory barriers that prevent these resources from being used to their full potential,” Kalkutin stressed.
NIBULON is calling on the relevant government authorities to work with industry representatives to quickly develop a transitional solution that would allow the necessary number of qualified specialists to work on inland waterways without lowering professional competency requirements or navigation safety standards.
