New marine terminal to be built in Poti port of Georgia
By Leman Mammadova
A new marine terminal will be built in the Poti, due to which the port will be able to receive 2.5 million tons more cargo per year.
This was announced on February 4 by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtadze, during the signing of the relevant agreement.
The relevant agreement was signed between the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the Georgian-American transport company PACE Group in Tbilisi.
According to the agreement, U.S.-based OPIC will provide PACE Group with $ 50 million to build a new sea terminal in the port of Poti. According to the company, the terminal is located on the territory of the former shipbuilding plant in Poti, in the waters of the new port on an area of 25 hectares, which was bought by PACE Group in 2013.
The solemn ceremony of signing an agreement with the American corporation was attended by the Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze, President Salome Zourabichvili, representatives of the legislative and executive authorities, the diplomatic corps and Acting U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Ross Wilson.
Mamuka Bakhtadze said that the signing of the agreement is a very important event, since the development of logistics is especially important in the process of turning Georgia into a major regional economic center.
“It will be a modern terminal complex, which will bring large-scale changes to the economy of the country and the region. I am sure that this project will become an example not only in our country, but also in the whole region,” said Bakhtadze.
“I want to emphasize that the construction of a new, powerful maritime infrastructure is another step forward in the formation of Georgia as a transport corridor connecting Europe and Asia, especially since we have a goal for Georgia to become a regional economic center and a regional hub of logistics and transport,” he added.
The development of transit routes through Georgia is one of the declared priorities of the Georgian government. The main infrastructure, which is being built nationwide, is an integral part of the Silk Road. These include the East-West highway, the modernization of the railway, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line and the project for the deep-water port of Anaklia in western Georgia, which is to become the first deep-water port on the Black Sea.
The head of the government noted that this is a very important event, since the development of logistics is especially important in the process of turning Georgia into a major regional economic center.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, acting U.S. Ambassador to Georgia at the same time former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Ross Wilson stressed the importance of projects jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and Georgia, AZERTAC reports.
Along with the region's development, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and other transport projects implemented jointly by Azerbaijan and Georgia play an important role in the Europe's energy security as well as the integration of Europe and Asia. Construction of a new deep-water port in Poti, will further enhance the importance of these projects, he said.
Ross Wilson stated that Baku International Sea Trade Port is the largest port in the region. Construction of Deep Sea Port of Anaklia is underway in Batumi, the diplomat stressed. He told that after completion of the construction, the contacts among three ports will expand. This will play an important role in further expansion of the Silk Road, East-West highway, as well as increasing international cargo and passenger traffic. At the same time, it will serve the well-being of the people of Azerbaijan and Georgia.
“Georgia and Azerbaijan maintain very successful cooperation in the region. The jointly implemented energy and transport projects continue to increase the influence and importance of the two countries. Today, with confidence we can say that Azerbaijan and Georgia play the role of a bridge between Europe and Asia,” mayor of Tbilisi, former Energy Minister of Georgia Kakha Kaladze has told journalists.
“The foundation of another international transport project has today been laid in Tbilisi. An agreement on the construction of the new port of Poti was signed. We will make even greater strides after the port’s construction is completed,” Kaladze said.
“There is a big terminal such as the Baku International Sea Trade Port in our region. After the launch of the Poti port and the Anaklia deep-sea port, a major maritime trade hub will be established which will allow us to become an important partner not only for Europe and Asia but also for the entire world,” he added.
The total project volume is $ 120 million and includes two phases. The total investment value of the first phase is $ 93 million, of which $ 50 million is allocated by OPIC.
The total length of the berths will be 650 m. The capacity is calculated on 2.5 million tons of bulk and general cargo, as well as 100 thousand TEU (equivalent to a 20-foot container). The depth in the port water area will be about 12-15 m, which will allow to accept vessels with a carrying capacity of 50-60 thousand tons.
The Pace Group was established in the 1990s and since 2000 began working in the port of Poti, where it currently operates 8 terminals owned by AMP Terminals. The group employs more than 1 thousand people.
OPIC has been investing in Georgia since 1993, during this period it allocated about $ 600 million to the republic. The funds were used to finance more than 60 projects in various sectors of the Georgian economy, including in the areas of production, agriculture, tourism, real estate and others, as well as to support small and medium businesses.
Poti is a city and major seaport of Georgia, located in the delta of the Rioni River on the Black Sea coast and 340 km from the city of Tbilisi. The city is generally recognized as a link between Europe and Asia. Poti occupies an important strategic position between the markets of Europe, the Mediterranean, Russia and Central Asia. The port was once a focal point on the Great Silk Road, today it serves as a point of attraction for numerous cargo flows. It should be noted that bulk and general cargoes are those types of cargoes that Poti port mainly specializes in. The volume of shipping traffic of the port of Poti is in third place among the other ports of the country.
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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888
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