Romania, Turkey, Netherlands, Denmark firms interested in EBRD’s Giurgiulesti port

Giurgiulesti, Moldova (Ports Europe) August 29, 2024 – The state-owned part of landlocked Moldova’s only port of Giurgiulesti on the Danube River will not be sold, the head of the press service of the country's government, Daniel Voda, said. This part of the port has no real commercial value. More importantly, he added that Giurgiulesti International Free Port (GIFP), under a concession by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), is negotiating with potential investors from Romania, Turkey, the Netherlands and Denmark. The EBRD contributed $27.5 million to the construction of Moldova’s port on the Danube, which gave the small and poor country access to the Black Sea. Giurgiulesti International Free Port is 133.8 km from the Black Sea. The port is capable of handling inland waterway vessels and seagoing vessels. Danube Logistics, a Moldovan LLC, is the port's owner, investor and operator. In December 2004, the company signed an investment agreement with the Moldovan government to develop the port project. Danube Logistics is a subsidiary of the Dutch Danube Logistics Holding. The sole owner of the holding is the EBRD. The cargo The Giurgiulesti International Free Port handled 2.17 million tonnes of cargo in 2023 - 18.6% more than in 2022. It also processed a record 8,460 TEUs. Moldova’s Giurgiulesti port handled 2.17 mln tonnes of cargo in 2023 The positive cargo dynamics are associated with the growth of grain and seed exports. In 2023, these increased by 55% and reached 889,000 tonnes, or 41% of total cargo turnover. Imports of petroleum products increased by 4% to 599,000 tonnes. Sunflower oil handling increased by 26% to 248,000 tonnes. Imports of construction materials increased by 10% to 195,000 tonnes. The import of fertilisers in big bags also increased by 48% to 119,000 tonnes. Coal imports and scrap metal exports declined. The port Giurgiulesti International Free Port (with the status of a free economic zone until 2030) is on the maritime section of the Danube. It has oil products, grain, vegetable oils, bulk cargo, container & general cargo terminals, a Ro-Ro terminal and a passenger terminal. Its water depth is 7 m. According to the General Director of Danube Logistics (GIFP operator) Matthias von Tucher, cargo handled in 2023 also included shipments to and from Ukraine. The growth in grain exports, according to von Tucher, is the result of recent investments in new grain storage facilities at the port and the purchase of high-performance cranes and loading equipment. He also said that the port is completing preparations for the construction of a new universal berth to increase transshipment capacity for dry cargo, general cargo and containers by 600,000 tonnes per year. Romania wants control over the ports of Giurgiulesti The Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, said in October 2023 that Romania should purchase the port of Giurgiulesti. The port is a key location in helping Ukraine with grain exports. Also, in the future, when the war has ended, the Moldovan port could have a role in the rebuilding of Ukraine. This last point is of interest to Romania. Ukraine wants a “green corridor” linking Reni-Giurgiulesti-Galati Ukraine is pushing for the creation of a “green corridor” between its port of Reni, Moldova’s only port of Giurgiulesti and Romanian second largest port of Galati, all situated on the Danube River, close to the Black Sea, and all capable of handling river-sea vessels. “The proposal to introduce a “green corridor” includes joint control (at the border) between Ukraine and Moldova and coordinated control between Moldova and Romania,” Deputy Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Sergei Derkach said in October 2023. “With this, we will be able to reduce the number of stops for trucks and speed up inspections accordingly”. The Ukrainian ministry has already begun negotiations with Moldova and Romania on the creation of such a “green corridor” to speed up the movement of goods and above all the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. Currently, trucks with grain wait for days to cross the borders between the three countries. Derkach added that “(the corridor) will allow us to resolve the issue of comprehensive infrastructure development on the Ukrainian-Moldovan-Romanian border”. Of particular importance is the development of the Reni port checkpoint. The “green corridor” project includes the reconstruction of the Reni-Galati road and its expansion from two to four lanes, as well as additional technical equipment for the border checkpoints along the entire 25 km route. An agreement between Ukraine and Moldova on railway transport (railway corridor), ratified in August 2023 by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament in Kyiv), allows transit rail transportation under a simplified procedure. More Ports Europe news about the Giurgiulesti Port Copyright (C) Ports Europe. All Rights Reserved. 2024.

Romania, Turkey, Netherlands, Denmark firms interested in EBRD’s Giurgiulesti port

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Romania, Turkey, Netherlands, Denmark firms interested in EBRD’s Giurgiulesti port

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Russian ports handled 596.2 mln tonnes of cargo Jan-Aug 2024

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