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Ukraine Plans to Lease Out the Black Sea Port of Chornomorsk

Chornomorsk
A bulker departs Chornomorsk, Ukraine, 2022 (Sipa USA via AP)

Published May 4, 2025 9:34 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Ukraine has unveiled a 40-year concession plan for its Black Sea port of Chornomorsk. The details of this project were presented by Ukrainian government officials at an investment forum in Warsaw, Poland last month.

The Ministry of Development delegation said that the lease initiative is aimed at modernizing and expanding terminal infrastructure in Chornomorsk port. The concession will cover two terminals - a container terminal and a multipurpose terminal - with a potential of handling up to 760,000 TEU and over 5 million tons of cargo annually. The concession auction will be held in the second quarter of 2025, and a contract with the winner is expected to be signed in the fourth quarter of this year.

The lease project has been prepared with the help of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Tender documents are ready outlining the terms of participation, risk structure and guarantees of state support.

“Despite ongoing military threats, the seaport sector has demonstrated exceptional resilience, maintaining significant cargo volumes. The concession of the container terminal in the port of Chornomorsk is an opportunity for investors to become part of the new logistics system in the Black Sea,” said Andrii Kashuba, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories.

The lease will complement the progress made with the new Black Sea corridor, as the government plans to diversify cargo routes and improve customs efficiency. Ukraine launched the Black Sea corridor in August 2023 after Russia withdrew from the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative. This alternative trade corridor has proved resilient, with Ukraine using it to export almost 73 million tons of grain for the last two years.

As part of the greater ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk is a strategic maritime hub and a lifeline for Ukrainian global trade. The ports of Greater Odessa - including Pivdennyi, Chornomorsk and Odessa - continue to handle the highest cargo volumes for Ukrainian trade. For instance, out of 23 million tons of cargo handled by Ukrainian ports in the first quarter of 2025, 20.7 million tons was processed by the ports of Greater Odessa, according to data by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. This includes 10.6 million tons in Pivdennyi, 6.6 million tons in Chornomorsk and 3.5 million tons in Odessa.