New equipment on Danube to increase performance

12 April 2019

Within the FAIRway Danube CEF Project, new equipment has been deployed to improve hydrological services, the basis for sound decision making while creating important synergies between the waterway administrations and better information to users. These include 5 new surveying and 4 new marking vessels, as well as 37 gauging stations.

After the baptism ceremonies, multifunctional marking vessels in Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania are tested during marking pilots by waterway administrations to improve the efficiency of fairway marking operations and enhance navigation conditions along critical sections.

The marking vessels are equipped with state-of-the-art technology for a facilitated navigation experience and for improved positioning of buoys. Marking results are published by waterway administrations in various formats, such as the Danube FIS Portal (www.danubeportal.com) for bottleneck information.

During the marking pilots, the newly procured and upgraded vessels are tested to improve and modernise the waterway administrations’ marking operations and the subsequent information provision. Another reason was to establish a solid and harmonized data basis for management decisions regarding follow-up projects and initiatives. Marking results are analysed and concentrate on the availability of signs, accuracy of their position and information provision.

The respective pilot operations are being performed in the framework of the FAIRway Project.