Rosatom and Arab DP World to create international logistics operator

MOSCOW. Dec 7 (Interfax) - The Rosatom State Corporation and Arab port operator DP World intend to create a logistics operator to operate in Russian and international markets, the nuclear industry media center reported.

"Today we have agreed with DP World to combine our experience, competencies and infrastructure capabilities to create a global logistics operator that will help increase the transparency and accessibility of transport and logistics services primarily for developing countries in Eurasia, the Middle East, Africa and South America," Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev said in the announcement.

The parties signed an agreement on strategic cooperation in the global market at COP28 in Dubai; it is "aimed at increasing the efficiency of international commercial exchanges primarily between BRICS countries and their partners, as well as at creating seamless sustainable global transport and logistics chains."

The parties intend to work using Russia's infrastructure (including the Northern Sea Route), as well as in Eurasia, the Middle East, Africa and South America.

DP World is one of the largest port operators in the world, and is owned by the UAE government. The group manages over 60 port terminals on six continents. The company manages the largest ports, terminals, industrial parks, logistics and economic centers with a total throughput capacity of over 90 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU).

At the end of October, Rosatom and DP World created a joint venture to develop transit container transportation along the Northern Sea Route: International Container Logistics LLC was registered on October 20 in Moscow, with 51% in the joint venture belonging to Rusatom Cargo LLC (a division of Rosatom), and 49% to DP World Russia from the UAE.

"Cooperation between the two companies is aimed at developing an additional trade route for sea container transportation through the Northern Sea Route. Among the immediate tasks of the joint venture are completing the design of infrastructure facilities on the route, clarifying the volume of investments and the work schedule," Rosatom told Interfax. "According to the partners' estimates, the pilot stage of the project will be able to provide transportation volumes of up to 800,000 TEU per year," the state corporation said.