Ukraine launches the largest investment project on a public-private partnership basis in the port sector

‘Ukraine is launching the largest investment project in the port sector since independence,’ said Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine – Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.

On 3 September in Chornomorsk, Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine – Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine – Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba signed an order to establish a competition commission to launch a transparent international procedure for selecting a private investor for the project to develop the First and Container Terminals of the Port of Chornomorsk with six deep-water berths and all the necessary infrastructure.

The event was officially opened with the participation of Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko.

This is the first public-private project in the port industry to be launched during a full-scale war.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and leading consultants will be involved in preparing the tender documentation for the project. A tender will be announced in the near future, and a private partner will be selected on a competitive basis.

Key project parameters

• Assets: First and Container Terminals of the Port of Chornomorsk with six deep-water berths and all infrastructure (strategic assets remain in state ownership).
• Investor’s role: attracting capital and expertise, modernising infrastructure and management based on a transparent long-term contract.
• Scale of investment: hundreds of millions of dollars in port capacity development.
• Economic impact: over $1.1 billion of revenues to budgets at all levels over 40 years, more than 1,000 jobs preserved with guarantees and improved working conditions.

Strategic significance

• Resumption of container transportation: up to 250,000 TEU per year within three years, and over 500,000 TEU in the future.
• Bringing the port of Chornomorsk to the level of leading European hubs.
• Sustainable development and new opportunities for the community of Chornomorsk.

More than 40 companies, including international port operators, logistics service providers and financial institutions, have expressed interest in the project, which will ensure high competition in the tender and the best conditions for the state.

Why this project matters:

✔️ It confirms that public-private partnerships and concessions remain priority instruments for infrastructure development. This sends a strong signal to the world that Ukraine remains open to investment, even during the war, and will become an even more powerful player on the global logistics map after victory.

✔️ For international investors and port operators, the project creates a clear and transparent mechanism for entering into the process of Ukraine’s recovery and modernisation.

✔️ The preparation stage for launching a transparent and competitive international procedure for selecting a private investor is crucial: it is the legal, technical and financial aspects that will determine the investment attractiveness and bankability for the private sector and financial institutions.