The Port of Constanta finalised the acquisition of 100% of ICS Danube Logistics from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This means that the Romanian port authority is now the owner of the Giurgiulești International Free Port, Moldova’s only sea-river port.
The transaction was closed at 62 million euros, as the Deputy Director General of European Transport Programs within the Romanian Ministry of Transport Claudiu Staicu said on LinkedIn. Giurgiulești sits right where Moldova, Romania and Ukraine meet and between two of the Black Sea’s main ports: Constanta and Odessa. Thus, “the strategic rationale makes sense”, Staicu added.
‘Romanian ports are struggling’
However, this move is not expected to solve all the issues that Romanian ports are facing and are causing volumes to decrease. Staciu pointed out that “the existing system — Constanța, Galați, the Danube corridor — still lacks the coherent, integrated strategy needed to unlock its potential”. And amid all this, Romania is now pledging significant amounts of money to a third port which is even outside of its borders.
“Romanian port volumes, both on the Black Sea and along the Danube, have been moving in the wrong direction”, he stressed. Hence, despite being considered as the right decision, Constanta’s acquisition of the Giurgiulești International Free Port needs to be part of a wider and coherent national port strategy. This, Staciu underlined, will not only require money but also an “EU-aligned vision”, something that in the past has not always been easy to achieve.
Rail freight in Giurgiulești
Thanks to its strategic location, the port in Giurgiulești is also a key hub for rail freight. The gauge of the railway networks of Moldova and Ukraine is 1520mm (broad gauge), while Romania has 1435mm (standard gauge). However, Giurgiulești is connected to the Romanian port of Galați by a broad gauge line, which removes the need for transshipment at the border.