The Danube is losing its competitiveness, — Nibulon
12.02.2025 - 11:24
Ports on the Danube are losing their competitiveness due to the resumption of work at the ports of Great Odesa.
This was stated by Nibulon Logistics Director Serhiy Kalkutin in an interview with USM.
Before the Great War, Nibulon was the largest operator of inland waterways in Ukraine, so the company did not consider increasing the capacity of river and sea transport. Already in the conditions of a full-scale war, the agricultural holding focused on utilizing existing capacities, first of all through work on the Danube.
Given the blocking of the transshipment terminal in Mykolaiv, Nibulon invested $22.5 million and built a new facility in the Danube ports. This allowed not only to load the fleet with work, but also to stabilize exports. The investments paid off in full – since its foundation, the branch has transshipped 3.8 million tons of grain and oilseeds.
“But now, due to the resumption of work of large ports, when military risks for shipowners began to gradually decrease, the region is losing its competitiveness,” Kalkutin stated.
This was significantly reflected in the cost of freight when ships enter Ukraine, compared to Constanta. Therefore, the economic attractiveness of the chain of export shipments (primarily grain) through the Danube with subsequent shipment in Constanta began to decrease significantly.
With such dynamics, the company does not see significant opportunities for increasing grain exports next year through the Danube ports.
“Unfortunately, the logistics market is currently experiencing some stagnation. This applies not only to river transport. Therefore, we probably should not talk about any global changes or development now. Everyone who remained to work in the Ukrainian river industry on the Danube should talk not about expansion, but about survival in these conditions. “That’s how it turned out today,” summed up the logistics director of Nibulon.
USM previously reported that Nibulon does not rule out suspending grain transshipment through its own branch on the Danube.
