The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, together with the International Finance Corporation, is supporting the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in preparing an open and competitive international tender for the concession of the Chornomorsk Port Container Terminal. The EBRD emphasizes that the project is being implemented according to high international transparency standards and is intended to attract private investment to modernize one of the Black Sea’s key ports and improve its operational efficiency.
The objective of the tender is to attract a strategic partner capable of providing investment, technological upgrades, and increased terminal capacity. This public-private partnership project involves the First Universal Terminal of the Chornomorsk Commercial Sea Port and a container terminal with six deep-water berths. The concession facility includes berths No. 1-6, the buildings and infrastructure on their premises, handling equipment, including cranes and grabs, electrical columns, and the terminal’s transport facilities. The modernized facility is expected to become an important element in the restoration of maritime logistics and long-term economic growth in Ukraine.
Applications for the competition opened on December 20 and will run until March 4, after which a selection committee, including representatives of relevant ministries, the Chornomorsk community, and trade unions, will select a list of prequalified participants. The competition will consist of three stages and will select companies with proven financial stability, experience managing large logistics facilities and modernizing port infrastructure, and a check to ensure they have no ties to the aggressor state or sanctioned entities. The Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine notes that the concession model provides an optimal balance between preserving state ownership, attracting investment, and investor responsibility compared to leases, privatization, or direct budget financing.