The captain of the Izmail seaport has established new restrictions for vessel passage through the Bystre estuary channel (Danube–Black Sea).
Effective September 18, the maximum draft for ships is 5.5 meters, according to the port captain’s order reviewed by USM. Passage is allowed only during daylight hours and requires mandatory pilotage.
The previous order from September 4 is no longer in effect. The decision was made based on the latest depth measurements conducted by the “Delta-Pilot” branch of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (AMPU).
According to Avalon Shipping operations manager Kateryna Kononenko, the news is generally positive, as the increased draft will allow higher traffic through the estuary. However, there remain challenging sections, such as Izmail–44 miles (Catal), where water levels “still remain difficult.”
“The maximum draft in this section remains 6.8 meters. Therefore, larger vessels of 5,000–10,000 DWT cannot be fully loaded (7.0 m) in Izmail. For them, the safer option is the port of Reni, where the Danube maintains a draft of 7.0 meters or more. With the arrival of autumn, higher water levels in the Danube may improve the situation,” Kononenko noted.
