Ukraine launches tender for concession of two terminals at Chornomorsk port

On Saturday, December 20, Ukraine’s Ministry of Communities and Territories Development announced the launch of a tender to transfer two terminals at the Commercial Sea Port of Chornomorsk—the First Terminal and the Container Terminal—into concession, according to a statement published on the ministry’s website.

The concession will cover the assets of the state-owned enterprise Commercial Sea Port of Chornomorsk, including six berths with a total length of approximately 1.2 kilometers, as well as equipment owned by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. The project will also include new infrastructure to be built by the winning bidder.

The concession term is set at 40 years.

The concessionaire will be selected through a competitive dialogue procedure, rather than a standard auction. Under this format, pre-selected candidates will hold negotiations with the state to agree on the final terms of the project.

The Black Sea Container Terminal is currently the only operating state-owned container terminal in Ukraine open to private investors, with a maximum design capacity of up to 1 million TEU.

According to the tender conditions, the investor will be required to ensure annual handling of at least 250,000 TEU and 3 million tonnes of other cargo within three years of the concession’s start.

• In November 2024, the Ministry of Development announced plans to restart port concession projects that were suspended following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. In April 2025, Ukraine presented the Chornomorsk port concession project to potential investors in Warsaw.