Romanian port returns to Novi Sad - "Constantza Port Day" in Serbia attracts great interest

(Constantza Port)

On September 26, 2013, the Master Congress Centre in Novi Sad will host the seventh edition of "Constantza Port Day", an event that has become traditional in the region, organized by the National Company Maritime Ports Administration SA Constantza.

The event is already announced as a very important one, which will bring together the business partners of Constantza Port, businessmen interested in the opportunities offered by the Romanian maritime ports, local authorities, already known but also potential partners.

The number of those who have confirmed their participation in a meeting in Novi Sad with the representatives of the port of Constantza is greater than in the previous years. Delegates from Serbia, but also from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and Austria, will attend the event.

Constantza Port

The growing interest for this event, from one year to another, represents the evidence that the efforts that Maritime Ports Administration Constantza has made in this region, from 2007 to present, have consequences, proper partnerships with Serbian companies show their results.

Along with grain traders - MK Commerce, Victoria Group, Agrotrading, Agroglobe, etc. – who conduct their business through the port of Constantza for some years, a serious partnership has been developed lately with the Elixir Group, which currently carries out a contract for the transport of about 3 million tonnes of ores to China.

-This event is an opportunity for the port of Constantza to meet its Serbian partners and develop mutually beneficial partnerships. By organizing the event “Constantza Port Day in Novi Sad”, the National Company Maritime Ports Administration S.A. Constantza aims to facilitate the direct meetings between existing and potential Romanian and Serbian business partners, thus supporting those interested in expanding their business through the port of Constantza. Therefore, there is a real chance for the development of long-term economic relations - stated George Vişan, Commercial Director of Constantza Port.

(George Vişan)

The traffic of goods is constantly increasing

The statistics indicate that the traffic of goods between Romania and Serbia, through the port of Constantza, registered significant increases from 2007 to present, as well as the number of Serbian companies located in the port of Constantza.

Besides, the evolution of the traffic of goods between the port of Constantza and the Serbian ports represents an important sign that says a lot about the potential of collaboration between the two parties.

If in 2007, the first year when "Constantza Port Day" was held in Serbia, the year when the representative office of Constantza Port was opened, the traffic of goods was of 1 million tonnes, in 2012 the total traffic of goods reached 6,253,126 tonnes, of which 2,214,561 tonnes for maritime traffic and 4,038,565 tonnes for river traffic.

In the first seven months of this year, the increasing trend of the traffic of goods is strong, reaching 4,109,261 tonnes, compared to 3,776,015 tonnes for the same period of the last year. The river traffic is 53.5% of the total traffic with Serbia registered this year.

As regards the traffic by commodities, the iron ores, scrap are the most important ones, with more than 3 million tones, followed by cereals (490,207 tonnes), fertilizers (237,426 tonnes), metal products (127,796 tonnes).

The Commercial Director of Constantza Port believes that “in the economic relations with Serbia, one of the biggest advantages of the port of Constantza is the fact that it is both maritime and river port. Every day about 200 river vessels are in the port for loading/unloading goods or waiting to be operated. The facilities offered by the port of Constantza allow the accommodation of any type of river vessel.”

Investment projects of over 175 million euros in progress

- Our strategy is based on the continuous development of the investments in the port of Constantza, for the enhancement of the port’s performance, so that we meet the needs of our partners: transporters, agents, shipping lines, port operators, that we permanently collaborate with in order to achieve a mutually beneficial partnership - George Vişan stated.

At present, major investment projects are in progress:

The Northern Breakwater of Constantza Port will be completed, by the extension by a further 1,050 metres. At present, the execution works are in progress, the completion term being of 23 months. The contractor of the work is the Dutch company Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors, and the supervision consultant, Haskoning DHV BV.

The value of the investment is of 124 million euros, the financing being from structural funds (69.25%) and the state budget (30.75%).

(Bridge across the Danube)

Until the end of this year, the construction of the bridge over the Danube-Black Sea Canal will be completed, an investment of 28 million euros, financed through the Sectoral Operational Programme "Transport 2007-2013" and the state budget.

The road bridge on km 0+540 of the Danube-Black Sea Canal is a cable-stayed bridge and it will be the largest of this type in Romania. The bridge will have a total length of 360 meters, a central opening of 200 meters, and the width of the bridge will be of 17.4 meters, allowing the traffic on four lanes.

The development of the railway capacity in the river-maritime area of Constantza Port, an investment of 17.6 million euros. The project consists of a systematized railway complex in the river-maritime sector of Constantza Port, that will provide optimal and unitary service of the existing and future port operators.

During the first stage, the railways serving the existing operators will be executed, based on the traffic forecasts until the year 2020.

In May of this year the works for the investment “The Southward Extension of the Lighter Berth in the Port of Constantza” have started. The project meets the demand for achieving a new capacity for taking over the traffic, the possibility of mooring large capacity vessels safely and the increase of the traffic carried out in the area. The value of the investment is of 4.6 million euros, and the estimated term for completion is November 2014.

This year the carrying out of a new Master Plan of the port of Constantza will start, the winner of the tender is to be announced in the coming period.

The new Master Plan will stand as the basis for the development strategy of the Port of Constantza within the period 2013-2040, as well as for the decisions regarding the optimum planning of the investments, in a global and harmonized vision to approach the port’s projects and its development areas in such a way that the port should be able to equally serve the national needs and those of its hinterland within the context of efficiency, competition with other ports and globalization.

Other projects deemed to be eligible for being financed from European funds are as follows:

- Modernisation of port infrastructure, by providing deeper approach channels and basins and by increasing the navigation safety in the port of Constantza;

- Road bridge across the link canal - building a metal road bridge with a span of 105 meters which will link the river-maritime area with the artificial island of the port of Constantza and will connect it to the road network inside and outside the port.

(Vladan Misic)

George Vişan, Commercial Director of NC “Maritime Ports Administration” SA Constantza emphasizes that “in the port of Constantza, there are several investment projects in progress, in order to build new facilities for cargo handling and to improve the transport connections between Constantza Port and its hinterland, projects located in the South part of the port.”

The representative of Constantza Port in Serbia, Vladan Mišić said that "Constantza Port Day" became the most important event in the transport field not only in Serbia, but also in countries of this Region.

- The growing interest for the offer of Constantza Port, the traffic evolution with Serbia, growing constantly, show the real effect of the permanent relation with the Serbian partners of port, as well as the business meetings organized every year by the National Company Maritime Ports Administration Constanta - said Misic.

(Note: This is the original version of the release in English issued by the National Company Maritime Ports Administration Constanta)