"The successful implementation of the Iron Gate I project by the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure and the Ministry of European Integration, with JASPERS support, has shown that the Republic of Serbia has strong administrative capacities to implement complex projects that support the European Union’s Connectivity Agenda. Team work between JASPERS and the beneficiary country is necessary for achieving good quality projects.”
The background
Rivers across Europe write the history of our continent. Rivers can join or divide, transport or block. They are natural country borders and a tool for trading and shipping goods.
The Danube River is the longest river in the European Union and most of it is navigable by riverboat. It is part of the Rhine-Danube corridor, which is key for inland waterway transport in Europe.
It originates in Germany and flows into the Black Sea in Romania, passing through 10 countries along the way. Shaping its surrounding landscape, the Danube is home to the scenic Iron Gate gorge, which serves as a natural border between Serbia and Romania. Both countries have hydropower plants and navigational locks on the river.
The challenge
Iron Gate I is one of these navigational locks. It is located within the Djerdap I hydropower plant on the Serbian side of the river. Since its construction in 1972, it has been operating almost non-stop and wear and tear has taken its toll on the infrastructure. The navigational lock structure is deteriorating each year, putting users’ safety at risk and jeopardising navigation.
This situation has also led to increased maintenance costs and waiting times for vessels in unpredictable traffic conditions. In fact, the gate had an average 87 downtime days per year between 2012 and 2016.
The action
The upgrade of the gate infrastructure and its operating control system will improve safety and offer more reliable transport along the Danube.
Serbia’s Ministry of European Integration requested JASPERS’ assistance on this project on behalf of the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, which is the final beneficiary of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grant provided by the European Commission.
JASPERS usually provides advice during the project preparation phase. However, it can also assist in the project implementation stage, as was the case for this project. Its main task was to help prepare the tender documents to reduce potential risks that may arise during the procurement and implementation phase of the contracts.
Although it was beyond JASPERS’ mandate, we also reviewed the technical inputs related to the tender documents, more specifically the preliminary design for the works and the terms of reference for supervision. This gave us a full understanding of the procurement so that we could provide advice on the technical deficiencies identified and the possible alternatives.
The results
The renovated Iron Gate I will ensure smooth navigation along the Serbian section of the Danube River. Once the works are completed, Iron Gate I will make navigation safer, more reliable and more efficient.
Moreover, by promoting inland waterway transport the project encourages modal split and eliminates one of the bottlenecks along the Rhine-Danube Core Network Corridor.
At a country level, Serbia will benefit from more waterway users. At a European level, improving waterway transport through Iron Gate I will improve cross-border connections, which will lift the economy in all countries on the Danube.