An agreement on making an additional contribution from the Qatari port operator QTerminals to the concession project for Olvia specialized seaport has been signed during the official visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Qatar.
The signing of this agreement was announced by the press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine with reference to Minister Vladyslav Krykliy.
At the same time, it is specified that the agreement was signed in the presence of Minister of Transport and Communications of Qatar Jassim Al Sulaiti and Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba.
The Ministry of Infrastructure notes that the signing of this agreement is an important stage in the procedure for transferring the port to concession, since it confirms the financial viability of the concessionaire to finance the entire amount of the declared investment – $140 million.
“Within the framework of the Olvia seaport concession, the leading world operator, the Qatari company QTerminals, which manages the largest commercial port of Qatar, Hamad, worth more than $7 billion, was involved in work in Ukraine. I welcome today’s signing the agreement on making an additional contribution from the concessionaire to this project. This is one of the main prerequisites for the further transfer of the port’s property to concession,” Krykliy commented on the signing of the document.
The agreement on transfer to concession of Olvia specialized seaport, located in Mykolaiv, was concluded on August 20, 2020. According to it, the Qatari company QTerminals will invest about UAH 3.4 billion in the development of the port. In addition, at least UAH 80 million will be invested in the local infrastructure. In just 35 years, concession will attract UAH 17.3 billion. The annual concession payment will be at least UAH 80 million. In addition, the concessionaire must ensure the minimum volume of cargo transshipment of at least 2.55 million tonnes per year, also guarantees the preservation of jobs for the next six years and the appropriate level of wages for the team.
Subsidiary of the state-owned company (SOE) Ukrspecexport – SOE Ukroboronservice and the design company of the Qatari port operator QTerminals W.L.L. – QTerminals Olvia LLC signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation in the presence of Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Vladyslav Krykliy.
The press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure said on Tuesday evening, the parties will work intensively to ensure proper implementation of the concession agreement and further efficient and profitable operation of the port.
“Olvia specialized seaport is our second concession project, under which we hired the world’s leading operator – Qatari company QTerminals, which manages the largest commercial port of Qatar – Hamad with the value of more than $7 billion. Today, the design company of the concessionaire QTerminals Olvia and Ukroboronservice signed the first memorandum of understanding and cooperation within the framework of this concession, which is an important achievement of the transition period,” the ministry’s press service said, citing Krykliy.
The minister said that, among other things, the document regulates issues related to the common use of infrastructure facilities, and will help the parties to unite efforts to develop strategic infrastructure around the port.
According to him, QTerminals Olvia LLC and SOE Ukroboronservice will jointly make efforts to carry out reconstruction and dredging works, increase the capacity of approach roads and the railway that leads to the port. And the Ministry of Infrastructure, as a concessionaire, will provide ongoing support to the concessionaire in establishing cooperation in the concession project with other state-owned enterprises.
The memorandum also provides for measures aimed at cooperation of the parties with local authorities and public authorities of Mykolaiv region, state-run enterprises and departments in order to ensure sustainable development, as well as the investment attractiveness of the region in which the project is being implemented.
