site.btaBulgaria, Romania to Implement Cross-Border Project for Ecological Assessment of Danube River

A cross-border project for environmental assessment and monitoring of the Danube River is being developed by Ruse University, the Romanian Research and Development Institute for Gas Turbines and the Romanian Institute for Research and Development in Electrical Engineering, Mladen Kulev, PhD student at the Bulgarian university, told BTA on Monday.

The project activities include the design and construction of a solar-powered ship, two drones and instruments with sensors to measure water and air quality. This will help authorities, researchers and communities to access accurate environmental data, Kulev pointed out.

"The ship will move along the river in the section between Ruse and Silistra. While sailing, it will measure air quality with the help of two drones, one of which will serve as the centre of the circle and a second one that will orbit around it. They will measure multiple air parameters, such as the concentration of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, ozone, and noise pollution. The vessel will have a probe with sensors to measure water quality," Kulev explained.

The project is funded under the INTERREG programme with more than EUR 730,000. 80% of the funds are provided by the European Regional Development Fund. The deadline for the project is June 20, 2026.