COFCO International has commissioned a new river fleet of four pushers and 29 barges. It connects the company’s nine river and inland grain silos with the deep-water port terminal in Constanta, Romania. Each barge is capable of transporting over 1,000 tons of grain – corn, wheat or barley – increasing logistics efficiency and giving COFCO greater flexibility and control over shipments.
The company transports over 2 million tons of grain by barge from Central European countries to the port of Constanta each year. COFCO notes that in recent years, transportation volumes on the Danube have tripled due to the advantages of river transport over road and rail transport, as well as due to infrastructure problems in the region, which stimulate the development of water logistics.
In addition to logistical advantages, river transport reduces the load on roads and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. According to COFCO estimates, one barge can replace up to 40 wagons or 70 trucks. The company, which is part of the Chinese COFCO Group and is headquartered in Geneva, operates in 36 countries and has more than 12,000 employees.