SUNDANSE

Innovative sediment management for a SUstaiNable Danube black SEa system
(SUNDANSE)

Objectives

The SUNDANSE project aims to:

  • Analyse the environmental impact and mitigation responses to sediment disruption in the Danube river.
  • Map critical points for sedimentation, erosion and toxicity.
  • Measure sediment disruption using on-vessel prototypes and develop a sediment management framework for the Danube River basin.
  • Develop numerical prediction models of sediment transport.
  • Develop (commercially exploitable) microplastic and toxicity analysis tools.
  • Produce an action plan to upscale solutions for sediment management.
  • Foster synergies with other projects and transnational cooperation.

SUNDANSE General Assembly, Paris, 20/21 May 2026

On 20 and 21 May 2026, SUNDANSE held its General Assembly meeting in Paris, hosted by project partner Eden Microfluidics. The meeting discussed the progress within all Work Packages of SUNDANSE and the work to come.

ESC is a partner in SUNDANSE working on various aspects of how any improved knowledge on the sediment management of the Danube can be translated into better guidance for inland waterway transport. The project has already identified critical bottlenecks in all member states along the Lower Danube and is now developing tools and models to better predict and manage these issues.

These advances will also be made available via so-called Open Calls in which administrative organisations along the Danube but also from other waterways can apply for project-internal support (100 kEUR) to apply these advanced methods and knowledge to areas outside the pilot sites of the Danube where they had been developed. We will publish a news post and add the information to this page as soon as the next round of Open Calls will be published.

ESC contribution

Main contributions of European Shippers’ Council, as a project partner, includes:

  • Review of the state of the art (per partner sector).
  • Development/exploitation of an handbook for sediment management.
  • Development of an action plan for application and upscaling of sediment management solutions.
  • Sediment management model: from river basins to water bodies.
  • Use cases: definition of requirements, demonstrations.
  • Use cases: management.
  • Dissemination.
  • Project management.

Further information

More information is available via the SUNDANSE website here.