The Georgian government has announced Belgian company Jan De Nul as the winner of the tender to develop the Anaklia deep-sea port, the Economy Ministry announced on Thursday, and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze confirmed the decision. Jan De Nul was selected from four European companies with the best international reputations.
Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili said the contract with Jan De Nul will be signed in August, and construction work will begin in September. The Anaklia port is expected to receive its first ships in 2029. Earlier in May, the Economy Ministry included Boskalis, DEME, and Van Oord in the list of contenders for participation in the project.
At the same time, a consortium led by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) was selected as the private partner for the project. Despite domestic criticism and concerns about rapprochement with Beijing, the government has assured that it does not see a threat in attracting Chinese investment. However, some of CCCC’s subsidiaries are under US sanctions, as confirmed in the Myth Detector report.