- Launch of new projects consolidates the position of the port in the transport market
- Rail freight transport is encouraged
- Transport on the Black Sea-Baltic Sea route is facilitated
Asuccessful project of private investments and of the Free Economic Zone in the Republic of Moldova is Giurgiuleşti Port, at the southern border of the country. The strategic importance of the port and the necessary implication of the private sector in the transport system have been acknowledged by the government who launched a special law on the identification of a general investor who will hire the entire territory of the International Port and who will be responsible for its development. Thus, the port is operated by Danube Logistics who signed an investment agreement with the Moldovan Government for the construction of Giurgiuleşti Free International Port. This is the only river-maritime direct point of distribution and transhipment in and from the Republic of Moldova, being at the same time the regional logistics centre at the EU frontier with access to the land transport networks to Europe and Russia.
In order to become an important logistics centre, the port initiates rail infrastructure development projects including the construction of a terminal with mixed gauge lines; the development of the project will enable the handling of oil products and dry goods. The estimated volume of the oil products that would be transhipped is 300 thousand tonnes/year, half of which will be the goods shipped from and to Romania. The second phase of implementation will include the development of the container terminal and of a warehouse. The authorities also consider the possibility to expand the port area to the adjacent parts of the rail bridges, a zone located along Prut River which doesn’t have a proper infrastructure.
For the development of the mixed gauge line terminal, the EBRD announced it would grant a loan worth USD 12 Million to Danube Logistics this year. Funds will be used to improve the standard of the port infrastructure and to finalize the rail line to the terminals for the handling of containers, general cargoes and bulk freight. As a result, the transhipment process from and in the wagons will no longer require internal transfer (by lorries) and will avoid the use of several machines, thus reducing costs and operation time.
As part of the programme for the attraction of goods to railways, Giurgiuleşti Port collaborates with CFM (Moldovan Railways) in the project called “Zubr” which ensures the transport of cargoes on the Black Sea-Baltic Sea Corridor (containers will be shipped by rail from Giurgiuleşti to Ukraine, south of Poland, Belarus and the Baltic countries).
“The first result of this service consists in the possibility to transport freight from China to Constanţa Seaport and back to Giurgiuleşti Port. From here, the cargo will be shipped by rail, but the transport time will be significantly reduced due to the facilitated border crossing procedures”, said the Vice Minister of Transport Valeriu Ciubuc.
The new service will significantly reduce travel time because customs procedures will be facilitated and the number of stops reduced. “The Republic of Moldova needs this functional port to benefit from an easier access to transport which means reduced costs. Moreover, it means participating in the project, including in transit projects”, declared Prime Minister Vlad Filat. Moreover, in order to increase the freight flow and attract customers, the authorities have decided that the freight carried through this service would not be subject to additional taxes and controls and therefore, costs will be reduced by around 30%. According to estimates, 6,000 containers will be shipped on this route in 2013.
The transport service has been launched at the initiative of Belarus and Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia have also joined the project together with the Republic of Moldova.
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