Transport Minister: First procurement under Fast Danube project estimated at EUR 13.7 million

The first procurement procedure under the Fast Danube project, a strategic initiative financed through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) aimed at unblocking navigation on the Danube, was launched on Friday with an estimated value of EUR 13.7 million, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Ciprian Serban announced Saturday in a Facebook post.

"On Friday, the first procurement procedure was launched under the Fast Danube 2 project - Improving navigation conditions on the joint Romanian-Bulgarian stretch of the Danube. This strategic project, carried out in cooperation with our Bulgarian partners and financed through the Connecting Europe Facility, is designed to remove bottlenecks, improve navigability, and create safer, more efficient conditions for river transport. Concretely, the project will allow vessels to operate on the Danube nearly year-round (340 days per year), compared with the current 280 days," Serban highlighted.

The first procurement procedure, launched Friday, covers environmental impact monitoring, with a nine-year duration and an estimated value of EUR 13.7 million.

The minister also noted that once implemented, the project will increase freight traffic on the Danube by at least 20%, cut transport costs and times, and deliver a major boost for the Port of Constanta, strengthening its role as a key hub in Southeastern Europe.

"Through this project, Romania consolidates its role as a regional transport hub and capitalizes on one of its greatest natural assets - the Danube. At the same time, all Romanian cities along the river will gain genuine development opportunities," minister Serban added.

Fast Danube is a project of European interest, part of the Rhine-Danube Corridor, which links Western and Eastern Europe and connects nine EU member states.