Moldova will attract a private investor to modernize the Giurgiulesti state port, build a new terminal there for transhipment of 800 thousand tons of grain, the total investment is currently estimated at $34 million
This was announced by the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spinu, presenting on Thursday the project for the development of the state port in Giurgiulesti. He noted that the reconstruction of this port is one of the important infrastructure projects that the authorities plan to implement as part of the Infrastructure Reconstruction Plan of Moldova 5+. “After many years of stagnation, the state port of Giurgiulesti must become modern, competitive and give impetus to the development of the economy of our country and the entire region,” said Andrei Spinu. According to him, the preliminary project for the development of Giurgiulesti State Port involves attracting a private partner through a transparent international tender for the design, financing, modernization, equipment and operation of the port. It is envisaged, in particular, to build a new terminal there for transshipment of 800 thousand tons of grain. “This means that Moldovan farmers will be able to export 800 thousand tons more grain, and this will solve many problems,” noted the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development. According to him, in the last few years, Moldova has exported most of its grains through other ports in Ukraine and Romania due to the lack of sufficient port transshipment capacity in Moldova. For example, the country's current ports can receive, handle and transport less than half of the country's total grain exports. In particular, in 2021, Moldova exported a total of 2.3 million tons of grain, of which only 406 thousand tons (17%) were delivered through ports in Moldova, and in 2022, grain exports amounted to 2.2 million tons, of which only 710 thousand tons of grain passed through Moldovan ports (approx. 32%). Moldovan farmers were forced to export the remaining volumes of grain using ports in Ukraine and Romania, which increased the cost of transportation. Andrei Spinu emphasized that after the construction of a new terminal for grain transshipment in the state port of Giurgiulesti, additional transshipment capacity of at least 800 thousand tons will appear. Attracting large private investments will create new jobs and help develop the economy. The Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development explained that it is planned to attract a private investor with an impeccable reputation to modernize state port in Giurgiulesti with the help of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank group. Andrei Spinu clarified that within the framework of the project the following construction, installation and technical work will be carried out: construction of granaries with a capacity of about 800 thousand tons; construction of a new berth 150 m long and 5 m deep; equipment with grain loaders with a design speed of 1500 t/h; development of railway tracks and railway unloading station; construction of a parking lot for trucks; construction of a truck unloading station; construction of covered warehouses; equipping with mobile cranes; development of an area of 2.5 hectares for a new port terminal. The approximate cost of all necessary investments is currently $34 million (600 million lei). The Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development said the project's feasibility study and tender process are expected to be completed by mid-2025, and a contract with a private investor is expected to be signed and investment attracted by the end of 2025. The construction of the new port infrastructure will take 2 years - until the end of 2027, and from 2028, the modernized Giurgiulesti State Port is expected to be operational. “The development of the Giurgiulesti State Port is an ambitious project that requires investment and time, but once completed will benefit not only farmers and citizens of Moldova, but also the entire region. Giurgiulesti State Port must and will be a modern port, the engine of our economy,” said Andrei Spinu. In turn, as noted by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bolea, the development program of Giurgiulesti State port will have a beneficial impact, first of all, on the agricultural sector. “A significant increase in transshipment capacity will support the country’s agricultural producers, who will be able to export more goods and products,” emphasized Vladimir Bolea. The presented program is part of the Moldova Infrastructure Reconstruction Plan 5+. The Port of Giurgiulesti, also known as the International Free Port of Giurgiulesti, is the only port in Moldova accessible to sea vessels. It is located at km 133.8 of the Danube River, in the south of the country, bordering Romania and Ukraine. The port is advantageously located on international trade and transport routes, such as the Rhine-Main-Danube waterway, which connects the Black Sea, 14 European countries and the North Sea; European standard railway systems, as well as an international road network. The port was put into operation on October 26, 2006 after 10 years of construction. // 28.09.2023 — InfoMarket
