Port of Constanța secures €136 million for dredging works in Constanța and Midia harbours

The Romanian Maritime Ports Administration has secured funding for a large-scale dredging project in the ports of Constanța and Midia. The total value of the project amounts to 711.33 million Romanian lei, or approximately €136 million.

The relevant financing agreement was signed by the Romanian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and the National Company Maritime Ports Administration Constanța. The works are expected to be completed by the end of 2029.

The project includes dredging operations in 20 separate areas. In the Port of Constanța, the works will cover 14 areas with a total surface of 268.06 hectares. In the Port of Midia, six areas covering 70.64 hectares will be dredged.

The works will be carried out in access channels, port basins and areas alongside berths where sediment has accumulated. Cutter Suction Dredging technology will be used to restore the designed depths. Once the works have been completed, bathymetric surveys will be conducted to confirm that the required parameters have been achieved.

The increased depths are expected to allow the ports to accommodate and service vessels with higher cargo capacity, improve navigation conditions and contribute to reducing logistics costs.

“The Port of Constanța, Romania’s main seaport and one of the most important European Union ports in the Black Sea region, is located on the TEN-T Core Network and serves as a strategic hub for European freight transport. The implementation of the project will create the necessary conditions for accommodating and servicing larger vessels, contributing to higher transport volumes, lower logistics costs and greater competitiveness of maritime and multimodal transport,” the port administration stated.

The main beneficiaries of the project will be port operators, shipping companies and participants in logistics chains, which will benefit from improved cargo handling and transportation conditions.

Comment by the Institute of Danube Research

According to the Institute’s experts, investments in dredging operations in the ports of Constanța and Midia are important not only for Romania. The project will strengthen one of the key transport hubs in the Black Sea–Danube region, connecting maritime routes, the Danube River, and road and rail infrastructure.

For Ukraine, the modernisation of the Port of Constanța creates additional opportunities. At the same time, it raises the requirements for the development of Ukraine’s own Danube infrastructure. Ukrainian ports must compete not only in terms of tariffs, but also through cargo handling speed, the condition of access channels, the availability of road and rail connections, and the predictability of logistics operations.

According to Vitaliy Barvinenko, Director of the Institute of Danube Research, the development of Constanța once again confirms the need to establish a coordinated regional policy for the Lower Danube.

“A regional policy for the Lower Danube should cover the modernisation of ports, the maintenance of guaranteed depths, the development of multimodal routes and the coordination of infrastructure decisions among Ukraine, Romania, Moldova and other countries in the region,” the Director emphasised.