Grain anchorage in Constanta port to become operational in Sept - company

MOSCOW. July 17 (Interfax) - A grain anchorage will be put into operation in Romania's Constanta port in September, Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company (UDP) said.

"Romanian colleagues informed us about the opening of an additional anchorage at the latest online meeting in the Quint format, which was attended by representatives of the European Commission, the U.S., Moldova, Romania and Ukraine," Ukrainian media outlets quoted the company as saying in a statement on social media.

In 2023, UDP was one of the first initiators of creating an anchorage in Constanta, the company said. The capacity of the port's terminals was not enough to handle the grain flow from Ukraine, it said. There were up to 600 barges with grain in the port at the time, and vessels could spend 30-40 days waiting to unload their cargo.

"The UDP fleet is now returning to grain transportation from Ukrainian ports to Constanta. The opening of an anchorage offers an opportunity to bolster the competitive edge of the Danube export route," it said.

Ukrainian grain exports via the Danube will continue only if the cost of all components of the logistics chain declines, it said. Freight rates for river transportation from Ukraine to Romania dropped by threefold in 2024 year-on-year. Ukraine is also working to reduce the tariffs for rail transportation to Izmail.

"The ball is now in the Romanian partners' court. The anchorage project will be successful if the cargo processing costs are cut considerably. Our common task is to ensure that grain exports via the Danube are able to compete with the Odessa ports. This is the only opportunity to maintain interest in this business," UDP said.