Hutchison Ports, which owns and operatesthe UK ports of Felixstowe and London Thamesport, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Ukraine for the development of Chornomorsk Port on the Black Sea.
The MoU was signed by Volodymyr Omelyan, the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure, during a recent visit by the Minister to the Port of Felixstowe.
Clemence Cheng, Managing Director of Hutchison Ports Europe, said: “We are delighted to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Ukraine to develop container terminal facilities at Chornomorsk.”
He said that Hutchison has long seen the potential for growth in container business in Ukraine and that he looked forward to working together with the Ministry of Infrastructure to realise a shared aim of developing world class port facilities to facilitate trade.
Expressing his delight that the world’s leading port operator had decided to enter Ukraine’s maritime market, Mr Omelyan said that his Government was committed to finalising the agreement and to closing the deal in 2017.
Chornomorsk is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea handling a range of cargo including containers, ferries, general and bulk cargoes.
Situated in the south-western region of Ukraine 20km south of Odessa, the port has established rail connections to the capital Kiev and has a skilled workforce already in place.
