Marine Log - September 2008 - (Page 36A)

BY KRASIMIR KRASTANOV PORTS TO MODERNIZE ITS PORTS T he port system of the Republic of Bulgaria is made of two types of ports—inland river and sea ones. The river ports are situated along the the Danube River, which is the Northern boarder of the country. The sea ports are situated on the Black Sea shore, which is the Eastern border of Bulgaria. The reform of Bulgarian ports began back in 2000 with the passage of the Law on Sea Spaces, Inland Waterways and Ports of the Republic of Bulgaria and the establishment of “Port Administration” Executive Agency. The national port system disposes of 13,076 m total length of the quay front in the sea port and of 7,862 m in the river ports. River transport, run by the Bulgarian River Fleet, is on a smaller scale than Bulgaria’s Black Sea shipping. BULGARIA SEEKS THE PORT OF BOURGAS On entering the Black Sea, the largest seaport is the port of Bourgas. Its geographic position, well-established communication network with South Bulgaria and with the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, make it an important junction between the old Continent and the Middle East. Every year the port is visited by 1,300 to 1,500 vessels, including oil tankers. The annual average cargo output ranges between 6.5 and 7.5 million tons of general and bulk cargo and from 12 to 18 million tons of petroleum products. A fast developing private port is Dockyard “Port Bourgas” JSC, which specializes in handling of metals, metal constructions and bulk nourishing cargoes. Port Bourgas said it will invest EURO 23 million ($32.9 million) to extend its quay wall by 180 meters and add 8 hectares to the harbor area. The move will accommodate three 125-meter mooring berths. The idea is to turn the port into a hub for general and grain cargo traffic. New grain silos will also be added, making the facility a major destination for the processing of grain and bulk cargo. PORT OF VARNA Varna is the largest and most comprehensive Bulgarian port, handling over 8 www.marinelog.com The Port of Varna is Bulgaria’s largest, handling over 8 million tons of cargo per year million tons of cargo per year. With modern equipment, excellent transport links, a rail ferry service and a “crossroads” location, the port is convenient for the cargo flows between Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Caucasus, Middle Asia, the Middle East and the Far East. Port of Varna has nine specialized terminals for its main line of business— three in Varna East and six in Varna West, respectively. SHIPBUILDING IN VARNA Located in Varna’s South Industrial Zone is Bulyard Shipbuilding Industry EAD, the largest shipbuilder in Bulgaria. Bulyard Shipbuilding designs and constructs ships up to 100,000 dwt. Over its 90 year history, the shipyard has built some 850 vessels for owners in 27 countries. In April 2008, Bulyard Shipbuilding began building two 56,000 dwt Future type ships, the company said. The investment in the two vessels will amount to EURO 60 million ($85.8 million). The project will be financed by KLVK, a subsidiary of Bulyard’s majority owner, Industrial Holding Bulgaria. The ships will be delivered in May 2010 and 2011. Odessos Shiprepair Yard S.A. is located at the southern end of the city of Varna, on an island between the old and new canals connecting Black Sea and the Lake of Varna and is about one mile far from the mouth of Port Varna. The yard’s facilities include one dry and two floating docks and an overall length of piers of 1,200 meters. About 95% of its customers are leading shipping companies from Europe, the United States and Asia. PORT OF RUSE The Port Complex Ruse J.S. Co. is a publicly traded organization with headquarters in Ruse. The complex manages several Bulgarian ports on the Danube, including the Port of Ruse, Somovit, Toutrakan and Silistra. The port of Ruse has two cargo terminals (Ruse-east and Ruse-west), a RO/RO terminal and a passenger quay, located at the center of the town. The port terminal Ruse-east is the biggest in the Bulgarian part of the river Danube. Ruse is also home to Rousse Shipyard. It was founded in 1881 and built the first steel ship in Bulgaria. In SepSEPTEMBER 2008 MARINE LOG 36A http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - September 2008

Marine Log - September 2008 Editorial Second Thoughts Update Contents Inside Washington Slick Cleanup The Women of WISTA Keeping Ships at Sea Connected Shipbuilding Shakeup Newsmakers Tech News Contracts Events Website Directory ML Buyer's Guide ML Marketplace Letters Marine Salvage

Marine Log - September 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.