The tender commission cleared several Ukrainian and international companies in the concession tender for the First and Container terminals at the Port of Chornomorsk, according to Ukraine’s Ministry for Communities and Territories Development.
The competition now enters the dialogue phase, where the state and companies discuss technical solutions, investment approaches, and risk management to refine the project’s final model.
Negotiating these details is critical, as concessions grant private operators the right to use state-owned infrastructure. The winning bidder will manage and modernize state assets for 40 years under a concession agreement.
According to the ministry’s press release, Ukraine’s Minister for Communities and Territories Development, Oleksiy Kuleba, said this stage is crucial for securing a high-quality, long-term infrastructure project.
“For the state, it is important that this process be as competitive and transparent as possible, as the result should be a strong infrastructure project that will benefit Ukraine for decades to come,” Kuleba is quoted in the press release. He added that a parallel security screening is ongoing to ensure that none of the applicants have ties to Russia or pose a threat to national security.
The commission is not disclosing the exact number of qualified applicants. During a briefing last year, Kuleba noted strong international interest in the project, with at least 40 participants expressing interest as of December 2025.
What is the Chornomorsk concession?
Chornomorsk remains one of Ukraine’s three largest deep-water ports, making its modernization a pillar of the country’s “field-to-port” export strategy and maritime security. Speaking at a briefing last year, Kuleba stated that the project aims to attract substantial foreign or domestic investment while preserving over 1,200 jobs.
According to the concession project presentation, the procedure targets the Universal and Grain terminals, specifically berths 1-6. While Chornomorsk was once a leading container hub, the container terminal has not handled such operations since 2015.
The Chornomorsk container terminal, built in 1976 with a capacity of 120,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), was partially modernized between 2005 and 2015 by a private operator. Currently, the port hosts multiple private companies alongside the state-owned operator (SCPC), which provides a full range of stevedoring, warehouse, and maintenance services. Under the deal, SCPC will transfer these operations to the private partner while continuing limited activities elsewhere in the port.
The private operator will assume control of assets from both SCPC and the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA). All infrastructure developed and equipment acquired during the concession period will ultimately revert to state ownership. In addition to the initial concession fee, the state expects long-term fiscal benefits, with Kuleba projecting more than $1.1 billion in contributions to the labor insurance fund over the duration of the contract.