The paper presents the way of planning in Romania the waterways and the ports. There are a number of actions to make investments more efficient by achieving multiple functions of a waterway and expanding the hinterland. Also, was created a system to prevent saltwater penetration from the Black Sea into the lock.
Transportation is one of the main components of the social and economic life for any human society. It is part of processing products and to take them to their place of consumption. With the development of the global economy, the increase of commercial exchange and especially the transition of the Eastern–Europe countries including Romania to the market economy, the current situation of the ports have to be reviewed in order to efficiently update their technology. This justify consideration of an international transport market. Integration and cooperation often represent a desideratum and one way to fulfill it, is by transportation. Favorable conditions were created to promote the extension of European and intercontinental exchanges, as well as to integrate the regional transport network into the continental network. Strategy for the development of the navigation infrastructure includes the foresights for modernization of waterways, river and ports in an integrated concept.
Romanian major ports and inland waterways have been developed along the 244-kilometers sea shore of the Black Sea, 1,075 kilometers of the Danube which borders and crosses the country and also along some navigable tributaries.
On the Romanian shores of the Black Sea are located three seaports: Constanta, Mangalia, at about 22 miles to the south, and Midia, at about 10 miles to the north.
The Constanta and Midia Ports are connected to the Danube through navigable waterways. This ensures the access of the inland vessels to these ports.
Twenty Five inland ports are located on the Danube River and five on its inland waterways. Given the volumes of materials that are transported, each port serves a specific zone of Romania.
The Danube attracted the attention of many economic, political and military authorities of different countries. Following a series of discussions, the “Convention regarding the rules governing the navigation on the Danube” was signed in Belgrade in 1954 by the countries having direct access to the Danube.
Danube Commission’s (D.C.) purpose is to standardize the regulation for navigation; for example, establishing the manner for performing the maintenance works, signalling, and so on.
D.C. cooperates with CEE and Rhine Commission regarding the protection of the Danube regulations, due to the fact that the navigation takes place both on the Danube and Rhine.
Because of its location in the southern part of the country, Danube ports have limited influence on Romania’s inland waterway transportation. Considering this, the strategy for the Territorial Arrangements Plan stipulates the turning into navigable waters of some Danube tributaries (namely Olt, Arges, Prut, and so on).
The same goal has been considered in accomplishing navigable canals, such as: the Danube – Black Sea Canal, connecting Danube to Constanta Port; the Poarta Alba – Midia, Navodari Canal, connecting Danube to Midia Port; the Bega Canal assisting the western part of the country.
The Rhine – Main – Danube Canal created a physical connection with the Rhine and the hinterland, potentially extended to Germany and even to the Netherlands. It created a navigation corridor connecting Constanta Port in Romania with the Rotterdam Port in Netherlands.
The Danube – Black Sea Canal has complex functions, such as: navigation and water administration, irrigations, electric energy supply, drinking and industrial water supply, drainage of the adjacent lands, regularization of the water flow and their transit towards the sea. The navigable canal is 64.4 km long and 7.0 m water depth.
At the Channel's extremities there is a locks with specific conditions. Thus, at the Cernavoda side, the variation of the level of water in Danube, requires that at the low levels of water, have to be pumped into the lock. At the Agigea side, where the barges enter in Constanta Port, a system was created to prevent saltwater penetration from the Black Sea in the lock. Also, the entrance of the ships from the Port in lock is provided a compressed air which also prevents saltwater to penetration in the waterlock.
A number of actions are to be taken that will lead to an increased efficiency of the facilities and aim to increase volume of handled goods.
A unit system transport is necessary in order to reduce the number of transshipment operations and to select the most convenient transport mode and finally of an economic route.
In Romania all the ships using the river ports have access to the maritime ports of Constanta and Midia, as they are connected to the Danube by navigable canals. Furthermore, all major ports are connected without any restrictions to the national rail and road network.
Besides the requirements needed to ensure navigation, the waterways may also be used to meet the requirements on irrigation, water supply, drainage, electricity generation, flow rate regulation even for leisure tourism.
The actions for the further development of the waterborne transport on short sea shipping must be also put into force.
Due to its good access to major communication routes and strategic position Romania may become the easterly focus point for East-West trading.