Gomel Oblast, Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast sign memorandum to restore navigation on Dnieper

GOMEL (BelTA) – The administrations of Gomel Oblast and Kherson Oblast as well as the Nikolayev-based agricultural company Nibulon have signed a trilateral memorandum on cooperation and partnership in order to implement a project on restoring the navigation on the Dnieper River, BelTA learned from spokeswoman for the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee Olga Ryabikova. 

The document was signed during the tenth international investment forum Taurida Horizons which took place in the city of Novaya Khakhovka, Kherson Oblast on 29-30 September. Taking part in the forum was the delegation of Gomel Oblast led by Chairman of the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee Vladimir Dvornik. 

The idea of the project is to load mixed classes ships which will be able to deliver cargo from Belarus via the Black Sea to Europe, Asia and Africa. Such ships will not need any additional transshipping points at seaports which significantly reduces the delivery cost. The agreement provides for setting-up a "river-sea" port at the deepwater area of Dnieper in the region of Nizhniye Zhary village, Bragin District, which is located near the border with Ukraine and the dredging of the river fairway on the route between the port and the Kiev reservoir. 

The idea’s implementation provides possibilities for Gomel Oblast and Kherson Oblast to increase the volume of cargo transportation by ships. In particular, there is a great potential in shipping down the Dnieper River such traditional Belarusian goods as oil products of Mozyr Oil Refinery, timber, construction materials and ferrous metallurgy products. The freight flow of potash fertilizers will grow significantly due to the commissioning of the Petrikov Ore Mining and Processing Plant located near the Pripyat River in the next few years. 

Kherson will be the last stop of these ships which will connect the two regions by economic ties.