ADDRESS

INTRODUCTION

Nikolaev is situated on the left bank of Bugskiy Liman (estuary) of the Black Sea where the Yuzhniy Bug and the Ingul River join. The population of the city over 500 thousand people.

On the 1-st of July 1862 the commercial port was opened to accommodate foreign ships with establishing of the first class customs house, and the city was opened for the foreigners to arrive and live there. Nikolaev has great transport potential, due to the availability of sea ports and terminals, a handy railway junction, two airports.

• ITC No. 9 Helsinki – St. Petersburg – Kiev (Moscow) – Odessa (Kishinev) – Bucharest – Aleksandropolis;
• ITC No. 7 'Danube Water Way';
• ITC TRACECA 'Europe – Caucasus - Asia';
• one of the NELTI routes (New Euro-Asian Transport Initiative) 'Northern China – Kazakhstan – Western Europe'.

For the time being Nikolaev Merchant Sea Port is an important transport hub in the south of Ukraine and one of the leading national harbours. In accordance with decree No. 1013 issued by the Cabinet on 23.07.2008, SE Dnepro-Bugskiy Sea Port became a special structural subdivision of Nikolaev Merchant Sea Port.

PORT REGULATIONS AND NAVIGATIONAL INFORMATION

The article is written on the basis of the Mandatory Regulations issued for Nikolaev Merchant Sea Port with (changes and additions) and customs code of Nikolaev port.

General Information

Nikolaev Sea Port's position: Latitude 46°56′N; Longitude 34°57′E.

The port is located in the city of Nikolaev, on the left bank of the bend of the Yuzhniy Bug river, 35 km upstream from where the river flows into the Dneprovskiy Liman (estuary). The port joins the sea via the BugskoDneprovskoLimanskiy Channel (BDLC) passing through the Dnepro-Bugskiy Liman and Yuzhniy Bug river. This channel starts at Berezan Island and goes on 44 miles to Nikolaev Port. The channel consists of 13 bends, 6 of which pass through the Dneprovskiy Liman, and the others through the Yuzhniy Bug river. It is 100 m wide and 11.2 m deep.

Nikolaev port is navigable all year round. The water in the liman is fresh.

In the cold period of the year, from November till April, N, NE, W, NW winds prevail, and from April till October, NE, S, SE winds do. The average monthly wind speed is 3–6 mps. In the cold period wind speed of 15 mps and more tend to prevail. In the warm period the winds' direction is marked by twenty four hour circulation, which makes for stable wind breezes, i.e. southerly during the day and northerly winds at night.

Fogs are mostly observed from October till March, with the average monthly number of foggy days ranging from 4 till 12.

Visibility in port's approach channels and waters extends to 5–10 miles and more.

Nikolaev port's waters are not protected from winds – that is why small vessels cannot take shelter in them – so, in case of S, SW, SE winds, masters of such vessels must take the necessary precautions.

The port's waters provide good anchorage for large tonnage vessels.

In icy periods icebreaker assistance is performed by port's tugs.

Nikolaev port is equipped with all means of communication.

The port waters' total area is 323 ha; port land area comprises 69,3 ha.

Entering and Leaving Port.

The shipmaster or agent must inform Nikolaev port's authorities of ETA 10 days prior to arrival and follow up with exact information 72, 24 and 4 hours prior to the arrival.

Detailed approach information should include:

• the shipowners and charterer's name;
• precise time of arrival at the port's pilotage station;
• ship's draft and cargo plan (if the ship is loaded);
• full information about availability of cargo documents;
• fuel, water and other supplies' requirements.

Prior notification of sanitary or any other restrictions (if any), preventing normal handling of the ship in port is also mandatory.

Outward formalities are arranged by Port State Control on board the ship on agent's request or, in exceptional cases, at the Port State Control Inspection office.

Besides the documentation stipulated in the General Rules for Outward Formalities, shipmasters shall submit the following to Port State Control Inspection: the executive cargo plan, scheme of deck cargo securing and stability calculations in view of arrival at and departure from the destination.

Navigational Conditions

Nikolaev port's waters and Bugsko-Dneprovsko-Limanskiy Channel are passable for ships up to 215 m in length, up to 30 m in width and loaded draft up to 10.3 m. Exceptions to these dimensions can be determined by the Harbour Master, case by case. Large vessels navigating in the channel shall keep to their starboard side.

Vessels should pass each other port to port. Ships navigating in the approach channel shall exhibit the following signals, which must be visible over the whole horizon:

• ships with draft from 5 up to 8 m: during daytime – black ball, at night – red light, exhibited from the most visible place;
• ships with draft of more than 8 m: during daytime – black cylinder, at night – three red lights, disposed vertically in the most visible place.

Small tonnage vessels shall give way to vessels exhibiting the signals. Ships with these signals have precedence over other large vessels and they regulate the order, in which ships pass through BDLC. A ship leaving the port has precedence over another one in the equivalent position.

All tugs, both sailing alone and in convoy, as well as smallsize vessels with draft up to 4 m in full load, when passing largesize vessels shall sail out beyond the channel's edge – except in bends 2, 3, and 4 of BDLC.

The overtaking of one largesize vessel by another is prohibited in the channel – except in cases when it is necessary to avoid emergency situations.

Pilotage

Pilotage in Nikolaev port water, by mooring operations in the port and at the handling terminals, as well as by vessels anchoring on the port's roadsteads is compulsory and is performed exclusively by the state sea pilots of SE Delta-Pilot.

Tug Assistance

Tug assistance is compulsory for ships of more than 187 m in length while passing port's water area. The tug service can be rendered at shipmaster's or his agent's request dispatched to the tugs owner, which is allowed to work in port's water area accordingly to the agreement made with the port. Tugs can also serve a small-size vessel at the shipmaster's request.

Anchorage

There are two anchorages in the inner roadstead of Nikolaev sea port – Western and Eastern ones.

Policy on Staying in Port

Nikolaev port waters comprise two roads - Eastern and Western ones.

The leading line of Siversovo Konstantinovskiy lighthouse serves as the dividing line. The Eastern road is intended for anchorage of large tonnage and deep draft vessels, the Western road is for small tonnage vessels.

A ship's towing and mooring operations in the port with port tug assistance are accomplished under command of the towed ship's Master regardless of whether the ship is proceeding under her own power or not. Mooring operations are not allowed when wind speed is 15 mps or more. From the moment of announcement of the ice period, all maneuvers and mooring operations in the port may be carried out only by Harbour Master's permission if a pilot is on board. Ship navigation through BDLC is performed with icebreaker assistance in convoy or with supply tug assistance. Ships with corresponding ice class may navigate in ice without any escorting, with the Harbour Master's permission.

Request for icebreaker assistance must be submitted 24 hours prior to expected arrival or departure.

Bunkering

Special fueling and refueling vehicles carry out liquid fuel bunkering in the port or at a handling terminal. It is performed near all berths in concurrence with the State Ecological Inspection of the northwestern region of the Black Sea and with port's Fire Department permission.

Services

Nikolaev port collects bilge waters, sewage waters and oily ballast. The port also provides for fresh water supply by Narzan water carrier. Ships lying on the roadstead are serviced by a pilot boat or road cutter. Fresh filtered water is treated by silver ionizer for longterm storage.

SPECIALIZATION

The following kinds of cargo can be handled in Nikolaev port:

• ferrous and nonferrous metals of all sorts and shapes;
• pig iron;
• large and small diameter pipes;
• various ores;
• iron ore pellets;
• ferroalloys;
• clays;
• bulk potassium fertilizers;
• equipment (including over size and heavy lifts);
• bulk grain;
• foodstuffs of all kinds;
• packed cargoes;
• timber products.

PORT FACILITIES

Territory of Nikolaev port covers 69.3 ha. Water area is 323 ha. The length of the railroad bed – 27 km. Total berthing line amounts to 2,420 м. There are 39 gantries in the port:

• Danube Shipping and Stevedore Company Ltd – berths Nos. 1, 2;
• Complex for handling of vegetable oil of EVERY Ltd – a station at berth No. 3;
• MOREPRODUCT Ltd – in the rearward of berth No. 5;
• Stevedoring Company NIKMET-Terminal – berths Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6;
• SC NILMORSERVICE Nikolaev – berth No. 9;
• FE YUZHNAYA Stevedoring Company Ltd – berth No. 10;
• Stevedoring Investment Company Ltd – berth No. 11;
• ICL Ukraine Ltd – in the rearward of berth No. 12;
• European Transport Stevedoring Company Ltd – berths Nos. 12, 13;
• GRINTUR-EKS Ltd – berth No. 14;
• FE KHIMTRANS Ukraine – in the rearward of berths Nos. 13, 14.

Berths of Nikolaev Sea Port

Specialization	Berth	length (m)	Depth (m)
Auxiliary	0	138,00	7,50
General cargoes	1	150,00	10,50
General cargoes	2	150,00	10,50
General, liquid cargoes	3	172,00	10,50
General cargoes	4	150,00	10,50
Bulk, grain	5	265,00	10,50
General cargoes, dry bulk	6	250,00	10,50
Port elevator	7	158,00	9,00
General cargoes	9	209,00	10,50
General cargoes, bulk	10	208,00	10,50
General cargoes, bulk	11	209,00	10,50
General cargoes, bulk	12	187,00	10,50
General cargoes, bulk	13	236,00	10,50
Handling of grain, liquid cargoes	14	238,00	10,50
Liquid cargoes	15	220,00	11,20

Nikolaev Port's Crane Specification

Name	Quonatity	Lifting capacity (t)	Outreach (m)
Albreht	2	10	8-32
Ganz	8	5/6	8-32
Kirovets	1	16	8-32
Albatros	21	10/20	8-32
Sokol	5	16/32	8-32
Kondor	1	16/32/40	8-32

Nikolaev Port's Fleet

Name, type	Power(kWt)
Ukrainets, tug	1853
Docker, tug	99
Zyuid, tug	382
Bugskiy, tug	352
Ural, road tug	221
PK-23, floating crane	147
NSM-101, oil-garbage collector	132
Yubileiniy, road tug	221

NIKOLAEV PORT'S COMPLEXES

Distribution cold-storage warehouse for storage of deep-frozen products

On April 24, 2009 the company MOREPRODUCT Ltd put into service the distribution cold-storage warehouse for storage of deep-frozen products, which is unique on the territory of CIS-countries. To handle vessels, they use port's berths Nos. 3, 4. The throughput capacity of the terminal totals 500,000 t per year. The number of employees – 50 people.



Complex for chipping of timber

On June 26, 2009, the company ICL Ukraine Ltd put into operation a complex for timber chipping. The complex was built with the assistance of Italian loan capital. The complex is situated at port's berths Nos. 11, 12. The capacity of the complex totals 420,000 t per year. The number of employees amounts to 70 people.



Multipurpose handling complex on berth No. 8

The main objective of this multipurpose handling complex creation is to provide loading and unloading, storage and shipment of various export and import cargoes. The complex has the following technical data: the length of berth No. 8 totals 200 m, that of auxiliary berth – 71.5 m, the junction sector with berth No. 7 is 27.0 m length, depth at the quay wall – 11.2 (the engineering design of the berth is calculated to allow future deepening to 11.5 m). The structure represents a bulwark made of metal cleat PU-32, load class 1 according to TSRR, equipment – 3 gantry cranes of 40 t l\c each. The estimated average cargo turnover amounts to 1 million t annually, maximal – 1.3 million t. On implementation of this investment project on berth No. 8 there will be 129 new jobs created.

Grain handling complex in the rearward of berths Nos. 13, 14

The one-use storage capacities total 150,000 t. The expected annual throughput capacity of the complex averages 3 million t of grain cargoes. Number of employees – 180. Number of new jobs created – 42. The complex is going to be put into operation in 2010. The facilities of the existing complex that was taken on lease are reconstructed at investors' cost. The investor is building single-handed modern reservoirs to accumulate grain cargoes on the leased site.

Oil terminal

This complex is a specialized terminal for handling of liquid petroleum products and provides their acceptance, storage and shipment. It is planned to handle several types of petroleum products: residual fuel oil, diesel fuel. The length of berth No. 15 is 230 m, depth at the quay wall – 11.2 m. The cargo turnover of the complex will amount to 4 million t of cargo annually.

For the reason of potassium fertilizers supplies termination, the administration of the port learnt in details the existing market of the cargo flows and made a decision to re-orientate the specialized complex for handling of grain cargoes (wheat, malt, maize, legumes, etc.), in order to prevent the facilities' downtime.

The complex enables handling up to 2 million t of grain annually on direct variant and is equipped with all-weather bunkers, a station for unloading of wagons, conveyor belt lines. Loading machines provide for high intensity of large bulk carriers loading. Sheltered warehouses give the opportunity to store up to 12,000 t and 18,000 t (warehouse No. 1, 2 respectively) of grain to accumulate shipload lots.

Storage Facilities

The area of sheltered warehouses comprises 27,300 sq. m.; the total area of open yards is 181,500 sq. m.

Machinery.

Nikolaev port has:

• lift trucks with lifting capacities from 1.5 t up to 25 t – 72 units;
• tractors – 6 units;
• bulldozers – 7 units;
• port tractors – 2 unit;
• excavators – 3 units;
• roll trailers – 28 units;
• bucket loaders – 23 units.

Cargo Handling Tariffs

To carry out loading/unloading operations, Nikolaev port applies rates by piece in accordance with the 'Reference Book of Tariffs for Works referred to cargo handling in the ports of Ukraine' approved by the Order of the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine (with amendments).

Services, which are not indicated by the 'Reference Book of Tariffs', are paid in accordance with 'free tariffs'.