Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure has announced competitions for the transfer of the property of the state companies Olvia Stevedoring Company (Mykolaiv) and Kherson Maritime Merchant Port and the relevant property of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. According to an article published in the government newspaper Uriadovy Kurier, the concession for Olvia will be granted for 35 years, while the one for Kherson port will be granted for 30 years.
The main task for the two pilot projects is to bring international practices and technology to Ukrainian ports.
By law, the competition and determination of a winner must be completed in a little over three months.
The concessionaires are expected to provide a total of UAH 17.3 billion in investment for Olvia and UAH 1.4 billion for Kherson port. Investment will be aimed at renovating infrastructure and developing the ports.
Plans for the first three years include the construction of a new grain terminal with a capacity of 2 million tonnes per year at Olvia (UAH 1.56 billion) and high-priority modernization at Kherson port (UAH 216 million).
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, more than 25 companies from Ukraine, the United States, China, France, Switzerland, the UK, Japan, Turkey, Qatar, and South Korea have expressed interest in the concessions. Nibulon, one of Ukraine’s biggest grain traders, said it might invest in Kherson port.
Qatar has showed its interest in concession of Olvia and Kherson seaports, Ukraine’s Infrastructure Ministry has reported on its website. The ministry said that the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar ports management company Mwani Qatar, envisaging cooperation aimed at boosting cargo flow between seaports of Ukraine and Qatar, in particular, exports of agricultural products made in Ukraine to Qatar. In addition, it is planned to attract Qatar investments in port infrastructure facilities to include marine terminals in international supply chains.
“The signing of the memorandum opens the way for the further implementation of many projects… First of all, we are talking about the concession of the ports Olvia and Kherson. Qatar is also interested in cooperation in the Yuzhny port, which, according to the strategy of the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority, will start servicing large vessels that can pass the Bosporus Strait in the coming years,” Head of the Authority Raivis Veckagans said.
In turn, Minister of Transport and Communications of the State of Qatar Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Suleithi said that the development of cooperation with Ukraine in the port and aviation spheres is promising for Qatar and confirmed the intention to develop the launch of direct flights between Doha and Lviv at the bilateral level.
