Delo Group and China's Shandong Port Group to develop multimodal container shipping

MOSCOW. March 22 (Interfax) - Delo Group and Shandong Port Group (SPG, China) will jointly develop multimodal container transportation within the framework of the signed memorandum on cooperation, the Russian company said in a statement.

The parties will also study the possibility of joint use of the Qingdao - Vostochny Port - St. Petersburg - Western Europe route to ensure the transit of Chinese goods. In addition, Delo and SPG plan to cooperate in forming international supply chains, logistics of grain and other bulk cargo exports from Russia to China via the Russian Far East.

The document also envisages cooperation in building and maintenance of infrastructure, exchange of experience and expertise in stevedoring asset management, introduction of innovative technologies in creating and expanding terminal facilities, as well as the purchase of modern port equipment. In addition, the companies intend to develop digital services together.

"Cooperation with one of the world's largest port corporations, which has impressive experience and resources, is a serious step in expanding Delo Group's presence in Asia. I expect that joint work will make it possible to elevate to a new level both the scale and quality of services and efficiency of operational processes of the group's companies", Delo Group chief Sergey Shishkarev was cited as saying in the statement as quoted in the report.

The Shandong Port Group was created in August 2019 by combining the main ports of Shandong Province: Qingdao, Rizhao, Yantai and the Bohai Bay Port Group. In 2022, the capacity of the group's terminals reached 1.6 billion tonnes of cargo, and its container handling capacity exceeded 37 million TEUs. Headquartered in Qingdao, the group employs more than 60,000 people.

Delo Group is a Russian transport and logistics holding company that owns and operates a network of sea and rail container terminals, its own fleet, and a fleet of containers and fitting platforms. Founder Sergey Shishkarev holds a 51% stake in the company, with another 49% held by the Rosatom state corporation.

The transport and logistics arm of Delo Group includes the intermodal container operator TransContainer and the multimodal transport operator Ruscon. The stevedoring direction - DeloPorts Holding and leading container terminal operator Global Ports. Sakhalin Shipping Company (SASCO), one of the largest shipping companies in Russia, is part of the shipping division.