Constanta port operators increase cereal manipulation capacities

Constanta port operators make investments in increasing cereal manipulation capacities while Ukraine boost exports through Romania, Viorel Panait, general manager of Comvex SA port operator told Reuters.   The Romanian government announced it wanted to double transit capacities for Ukraining cereals through Constanta port, to 4 million tons per month, from a level close to zero before the Russian invesion in Ukraine.   Last month, about 2.7 million tons of cereals from Ukraine went through Constanta port, Panait added.   As of July, when Moscow abandoned an accord which allowed Ukraine to export cereals through its Black Sea harbors, Russia repeatedly bombed Ukrainian ports on the Danube, which were bordering Romania, a NATO member state.   Comvex, which doubled its unloading capaities in the past year, is now undergoing a 25% extension process of its cereal stocking capacities to 250,000 tons and is also working on increasing train processing speed, Panait said. In this respect, Comvex concluded a partnership with railway operator Romanian Railroad Group (GFR) for a new train loading system at border crossing point with Ukraine at Vadul Siret-Dornesti. Panait poined out that the new system, which will become operational by mid October, will allow Comvex to manipulate an additional quantity of 120,000 tons of cereals per month. Also the operator is adding a second automated quality control system which will double its train processing capacity.   TTS logistic group, which handles farming products, mineral and chemicals on the Danube, completed taking over cargo operator Decirom SA in Constanta port, early this year. Gabriel Techera, the director for relations with TTS investors, said this week that the group, which has an investment budget of 80 million euros for 2023, commissioned two floating cranes in September.   In its turn, SOCEP SA port operator announced it had paid 10 million euros for new equipment for its terminal for cereals and ship loading.   Viorel Panait, who is also the president of port operators in Constanta, said that some operators are using a digital system, which reduced the time needed to process customs declarations to 30 minutes from 48 hours.   A government source revealed for Reuters that Constanta port has now the logistic capacity to handle 40 million tons of cereal annually, significantly higher than the annual record of 25 million tons established in 2021.