Investors are waiting for tender for Apatin-based international port - What will the complex at the Danube worth more than EUR 30 mil contain?

(Portal lift)

Since the last year’s pre-election period, the port in Apatin has been waiting for an international tender for the construction. As the President of this Backa municipality, Zivorad Smiljanic, says for eKapija, although there are the interested investors, the Agency for ports should provide an approval for tender release.

The goods-transportation center Apatin would thus have an exit to the Danube and it would be the first port in the customs-free zone in Europe. Last year, a preliminary design for the construction of the public port in Apatin with the Study on economical feasibility and construction within the logistics center, was done.

The length of port coast is 715 meters and the port territory width from 220 to 375 meters so that nearly the area of 18,5 ha was planned for the needs of port operations and accommodation capacities. An area of some 7, 2 ha was planned for public warehouses.

Since the plan documents of Apatin for the needs of the port define a coastal length of 2 km, the expansion of the port both upstream and downstream is enabled.

- If the navigation terms set more strict requirements, operational coast can be moved towards the inner side of the port territory – representatives of the Apatin municipality say.

In order to enable unobtrusive sailing along the Danube, at the upstream part of the river, a part of the river for the needs of anchorage was provided where up to 20 vessels can be placed at the same time.

(Logistics center Apatin)

On a total length of 1.225 meters of operational coast, six quays were defined, depending on the need, on each one of them overloading with two vessels can be done simultaneously.

One pier place was planned for loading and unloading of containers where a bridge lift for intermodal units overloading was planned. Then, there are two quays with one or two portal lifts for general cargo loading and unloading. The next one was planned for a portal lift for dispersed cargo loading and unloading.

Three construction stages

The construction of the port and a logistics center in Apatin can be implemented in three stages, as implied in the preliminary design. The first stage comprises infill and concrete works of the working area as well as the construction of roads, railway lanes, overloading ramp infrastructure, pump stations for dispersed and fluid cargo, infrastructure for electric and utility services, quays for ships.

(Overloading crane)

Apart from that, this stage should comprise the construction of facilities for the accommodation of shared services as well as for safety fence around the complex, security of additional systems and mechanization essential for overloading, i.e. the start of operations within the complex.

The second stage should comprise the construction of overloading port capacities – outdoor and indoor warehouse and roofed warehouse for dispersed cargo. The third stage comprises infill works and the construction of warehouses and silos for the storage of dispersed and fluid cargo, i.e. free zone.

Controlled waste water collection and treatment within the complex (technical, sanitary and atmosphere lubricated waters) and their release in the Danube. For this kind of a solution, a quay (port) infrastructure which comprises: bank fortification, RoRo ramp, mooring for cargo loading, RoRo terminal, terminal for fluid cargo, container terminal, huckepack terminal, terminal for dispersed cargo, terminal for general cargo roads, railway roads and roads, etc.

(Dimensioning of intermodal terminal in the zone of crane with estimated dimensions in meters)

Costs were estimated to some EUR 28, 2 mil for the construction and equipping of Apatin-based port. A three-dimension terminal comprising technologies of container, huckepack and RoRo system was dimensioned at the logistics center. Investment costs for construction and equipping were estimated at some EUR 6,4 mil.

Total investments for the construction of the port and a logistics center have been estimated to EUR 34, 6 mil.

The interested investors

According to previous announcements, for the Apatin-based port project, the consortium of companies Agrifer from Switzerland and Nika Group from Belgrade is interested and a memorandum of understanding was signed in April 2012.

I.M.