The contractor of the environmental impact assessment for the project of the Děčín navigation stage concluded a contract with ŘVC ČR

Prague – PORTOS was selected as the leading member of the wider expert consortium (together with AZ-GEO, s.r.o. and ecological Consulting a.s. and others) as the new contractor of EIA documentation for the strategic construction of the Děčín navigation stage, the contracting authority and investor of which is the Directorate of waterways of the Czech Republic (ŘVC ČR). The project represents a significant investment in Czech transport infrastructure, which will contribute to a fundamental improvement of navigation conditions on the Elbe River and the development of freight shipping on the Czech-German border. The performance of the contract is scheduled in several stages and will last until 2027.

Participation in the project of the Děčín navigation stage is important for PORTOS not only from a professional point of view. “The project has been going on for 30 years and the EIA process is being launched for the third time. It has never been completed in the past due to various negative pressures. We believe we will succeed this time. It is no longer possible to ignore the strategic importance of the project from the perspective of the trans-European water transport network, the need to support the dying traditional water transport in the Czech Republic and other positive benefits of the project – for example, the construction of an ecological hydropower plant, which will cover most of the energy consumption of the whole Děčín. Says Jan Sůra, the partner of the office. Under his leadership, PORTOS will participate in the project from the position of the contractor of the Environmental impact Assessment Documentation (EIA), which is necessary for the implementation of the project, within the framework of a wider consortium of consulting companies formed by PORTOS, the law firm s.r.o., AZ-GEO, s.r.o. and ecological Consulting a.s. and others.

The intention to implement the construction of the Děčín navigation stage has been going on for more than 30 years, and this is not the first environmental impact assessment. The EIA process continued from 2005 to 2019, but the documentation was not successfully completed by the previous contractors.

From the perspective of the strategic interests of the Czech Republic, it is not possible to resign to such a key construction as the Děčín waterway, which will significantly help the navigability of the Elbe, will help to revive the dying water transport in the Czech Republic and will connect the Czech Republic with the main network of the TEN-T trans-European transport network and the largest German port in Hamburg. As part of a broader plan to ensure stable conditions for water transport on the Elbe River, the Děčín swimming stage aims to increase the volume of transported goods by water. This will strengthen its role as a strategic transport route, which is a cheap and environmentally friendly alternative to road and rail. During periods when the navigation on the Elbe is stopped due to low flow rates, there are significant complications in freight shipping. The consequences are then evident especially in the economic sphere, when the cost of transport increases.

The implementation will open up new opportunities for recreational navigation and tourism, which have been limited by unstable swimming conditions until this time. The project also brings technical solutions that take into account environmental aspects. The construction of the navigation stage includes a moveable weir structure that ensures a stable water level, while fish transitions and bio-corridors will be built to allow the migration of animals. Even today, it is not possible to ignore the importance of a hydropower plant with a capacity of 47 GWh, which is part of the project and can cover electricity consumption of more than half of households in Děčín. Last but not least, the project also counts on reclamation of the banks in the wider center of Děčín.

Shipping is an extremely environmentally friendly and economical way of transport and the consortium PORTOS AZ GEO ECOLOGICAL CONSULTING – EIA Děčín firmly believes that the construction of the Děčín navigation stage will finally be realized after several decades, as the consortium combines long-standing expertise in the field of transport infrastructure construction and strategic projects.

PORTOS, Attorneys-at-Law, s.r.o.

PORTOS is a strategic legal advisor and one of the most successful law firms on the Czech market. In more than 30 years of its existence, it has earned the reputation of a stable and independent partner in the field of logistics infrastructure and strategic projects, including transport projects, which are part of the backbone network of TEN-T.

AZ GEO, s.r.o.

AZ GEO is part of VALBEK-EU holding, a.s., which has specialized since 1990 in the design of line constructions, with its group consisting of over 200 top designers, 50 designers, and over 200 specialists in the construction field of line constructions.

Ecological Consulting a.s.

ECOLOGICAL CONSULTING offers complete services in the company ecology, with a long experience in carrying out natural and dendrological surveys, ensuring biomonitoring and rescue transfers, assessing the impact of buildings on the landscape character and processing of environmental chapters into individual stages of project documentation or studies.