After lying at the bottom of the Danube River near the port of Prahovo for 80 years, the first of some 200 ships sunk there during World War II was successfully removed this summer. Lifted with cables, cleared of sludge and mud, the wrecks emerged from the river.
“In the past, organizing such an undertaking was quite challenging, but with modern technology and techniques, it has become much more feasible,” says Aleksandar Banjac, Serbia’s assistant minister of construction, transport and infrastructure.
The ships were scuttled by the German Navy in 1944 and have obstructed navigation on this crucial stretch of Europe’s second-longest river ever since, especially when water levels are low. In the first phase of the operation to remove them, 21 vessels are targeted, because they cause severe delays to freight transport and lead to estimated annual losses of over €5 million for Serbia.
“Now is the right time, as river traffic and goods transport on the Danube are increasing significantly,” Banjac says. “The river is a crucial artery for Europe, and this particular section is of great interest to shippers.”
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Eliminating bottlenecks in the water
The volume of goods and vessels passing through the nearby Iron Gate Gorge is growing. Barges and other ships find it difficult to navigate this narrow stretch of the Danube, where passage is constrained to a mere 90 metres. Eliminating this kind of bottleneck is essential to accommodate further expected increases in cargo volumes. With these first 21 ships removed, the waterway will have a navigable width of 200 metres.
It’s not only a matter of grabbing hold of the ships and pulling them out of the mud. As part of the removal process, any ammunition found on the ships must be extracted safely, using special procedures, because sudden exposure to the atmosphere might trigger an explosion.
“Due to low visibility in the river, divers have to manually inspect the ships in order to identify them,” Banjac says. “Depending on the vessel’s condition, some may not be salvageable due to their size and poor state. Options include underwater cutting or excavation. Currently, two ships are being buried into the river bottom.”
Special pumps are used to remove sand, silt, and gravel from the riverbed to ensure a safe navigable course along the Danube.
A joint undertaking of Serbia and the European Union
In July 2024, the European Investment Bank signed a €16 million EU grant under the Western Balkans Investment Framework for this project. The grant supplements an existing European Investment Bank loan, as well as technical assistance financed under the bank’s Economic Resilience Initiative and the WBIF. These financial resources form part of a wider scheme of ongoing investment to increase the capacity, efficiency and safety of inland waterways along the Rivers Danube and Sava.
“The investment will benefit people in Serbia by providing more reliable and efficient transport infrastructure and will also support the economic growth of the country and the region,” said European Investment Bank Vice-President Robert de Groot at the signature ceremony in Belgrade.
In four years, once all the obstacles have been removed from the riverbed, water traffic in Serbia and the region will be much more competitive, as both the safety and efficiency of navigation along this international corridor will meet the highest standards. The cleared waterway will also improve the transport link between Serbia and EU member states, contributing to more efficient integration of the local economy in EU supply chains.
“It is an important project for the Green Agenda too, as it will facilitate the much-needed shift from road to waterway transport,” said Emanuele Giaufret, head of the EU Delegation to Serbia.
“It is a part of the Economic Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, which aims to mobilise up to €30 billion for the region,” he adds. “The European Union delivers results for a better life for the citizens of Serbia.”
