Modernization of the locks on the Danube-Black Sea Canal
On May 28 2020, 36 years and 2 day since the inauguration of the Danube-Black Sea Canal, the works for the modernization of the locks on the Danube-Black Sea Canal and of the Poarta Alba-Midia Navadori branch have been finalized. This is the most complex and difficult project for the modernisation of the transportation infrastructure in Romania over the last 30 years.
The project, executed by the joint venture Romenergo, DDS Noell GMBH Würzburg (Germany), UTI Grup, Argos and Utilnavorep, resided in the upgrade of the technical infrastructure and of the tructure of Agigea, Cernavoda and Ovidiu locks, of the complex pumping station in Cernavoda, of the flood protection pumping stations in Saligny, Mircea Vodă, Faclia and of the great waters galleries of Ovidiu and Navodari locks.
UTI Grup’s responsibilities were to design, provide and install the technical equipment and installations that ensure the proper operation of the locks: power supply, electrical installations for the remote command and surveillance of the pumping stations, fire detection and extinguishing, CCTV, telecommunications, interior and exterior lighting, surveillance and security systems, automation and SCADA for the security and auxiliary installations.
UTI Grup has also provided technical assistance for the installed equipment and the training of the personnel of the Administration of the Navigable Canals, the project beneficiary.
The lock modernization is a landmark project both due both to the complexity and diversity of the installed system, and to its social and economic importance as the Canal is of crucial importance to the landlocked European countries.
Provided system s and used resources
- 250 workers of the 3.500 workers in total
- 7 control, command, communication rooms equipped with vide-walls and installation control equipment
- 7 pumping stations that supply water to over 34 km of distribution ducts, 6,000 sprinklers and 60 remote-controlled water cannons
- 2,800 smoke detectors, panic modules and buttons, as well as over 750 aerosol generators
- Over 520 IP video cameras
- 24 laser scanners for ship detection
- Over 1,250 km power supply cables (medium and low voltage)
- 9 medium voltage stations
The modernisation works have been executed over several phases, without affecting the traffic on the navigable canals. Their main benefits are traffic increase, safety and traffic conditions improvement, environment protection by reducing ship locking time and increased efficiency of the Administration of the Navigable Canals following the decrease of the exploitation costs, considering that the equipment and the installations were technologically outdated.
The project, started in 2013, whose value amounts to 180 mil. Euro, was awarded by public auction and was financed through Cohesion Fund through the Large Infrastructure Operational Program 2014-2020.