Ports of Odessa region to implement investment projects for 70 billion UAH

The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine and the State Enterprise «USPA» summed up the results of the meeting on issues of development of the ports of Odessa, Yuzhnyi and Illichevsk.

As was previously reported, during the meeting, chaired by the Vice Prime Minister Aleksandr Vilkul held on October 22 in Odessa were discussed the strategic directions of development and volumes of planned investments in each of three major seaports of the country.

After realization of all investment projects in case of favorable conditions on the shipping market, three major ports of Odessa region may attract about 70 billion UAH investments and create up to 11,000 new jobs.

The Head of Odessa seaport Authority, Mikhail Sokolov said that in line with the Strategy approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, the port of Odessa specializes in container cargoes, grain cargoes, metallurgical products, petroleum and petroleum products, as well as passenger service.

The following projects are currently under realization in the port of Odessa:

• Expansion of the container terminal at the Quarantine Mole. It is the largest project in the history of the port. Total investments — nearly 5.0 billion UAH, over 50% of which is investor funds. Commissioning is scheduled for 2014;
• Construction of one of the largest grain handling complexes in the Black Sea basin jointly with the company “Brooklyn-Kiev”. Total cost of the project is about 1 billion UAH, where 726 million UAH — investor funds;
• Construction of grain handling complex by the company «Olimpex Coupe Int.». Total sum of investments — 140 million UAH;
• Development of dry port facilities and the surrounding areas of irrigated fields. The volume of investments — 670 million UAH (to date, 77 mln. has already been invested).

Today the stevedoring companies operating in the port area have already expressed their desire to modernize and develop port’s facilities. The companies plan to expand capacity for handling oils, as well as plans for the reconstruction of terminals for processing of general and bulk cargoes. Total investments — nearly 1 139 8 mln. UAH.

In total, Odessa port plans to attract about 20 billion UAH of investments, 10 billion of which are investments of private companies. All these projects will help to create additional 3,500 jobs.

According to the Head of Yuzhnyi seaport Authority Maxim Shirokov, the reconstruction of the approach canal and inland approaches to deep-water berths are the strategically important to improve the competitiveness of the port. After realization of these projects, the port will become the deepest one in the Black Sea able to handle vessels up to 19 meters in draft and deadweight of more than 200 thousand tons

Among the most promising projects in the port is development of the group of companies «Transinvestservice», which involves the expansion and renovation of facilities for handling bulk cargoes at the existing berths and construction of a new berth for handling general cargo, bulk and Ro-Ro cargo.

The projects of long-term development of the port will attract investment to the sum of 30 billion UAH and the creation of more than 6 000 new jobs.
«In the near future the dredging in the approach canal and the harbor waters of Illichevsk seaport will start. Among the long-term plans are the development of facilities for handling containers and creation of a terminal with the capacity of 1.5 million TEU. The approximate cost of the works is about 1 billion 200 million UAH of investments. Among other plans is creation of a modern terminal for handling of agricultural products»,— said the Head of illichevsk seaport Authority Alexey Koshelev.

The approximate amount of funds to be attracted in the long-term perspective is 18 billion UAH. After realization of these projects, the port of Illiichevsk will create about 1,500 new jobs.

Adapted from UKRAINIAN SEA PORTS AUTHORITY