Container Terminal Odessa: more than 20 million euros of investments for expansion of the terminal, technical re-equipment and a new free of charge web service.

On February 16, the SYMPHONY SEA vessel, which arrived from the port of Fenit (Ireland), moored at berth 2k of the Quarantine Mole. It delivered 4 RTG cranes manufactured by LIEBHERR to Odessa port for SC “Container Terminal Odessa” (HHLA CTO).

The cranes arrived disassembled, and after installation, they will be employed with the new yard territory of the Quarantine Mole, which is a part of the 4th launch complex. The complex, construction of which began in 2018, will be equipped with six rows for storage and handling of containers using RTG rear loading cranes. This autumn, the 4th launch complex is planned to be put into operation.

- The sum of investments for the purchase of new equipment amounted to more than 6 million euros. The need for these investments is due to the annual growth of the volume of container handling by our company. The new LIEBHERR cranes have a number of technical advantages aimed at lowering operating costs, as well as being more environmentally friendly due to more modern engines. This year we are acquiring two more new reach stackers and a forklift. - Anastas Kokkin, General Director of HHLA CTO, said.

According to Svitlana Iarova, Vice-President for Public Affairs, ambassador of the municipality of Hamburg in Ukraine, the parent company HHLA has invested in the development and technical equipment of the stevedoring company in Odessa port from the first days of its establishment.

- Over the 19 years our company operates in Odessa port, the management of the HHLA holding has done everything to ensure that HHLA СTO is the leader of the container market in Ukraine. Total investment in development amounted to more than 170 million euros. The lion's share of this investment comes to the “Quarantine Mole” project implementation, which will ultimately fulfill our long-held dream of handling more than 1 million TEU annually. Our company is a good example of how German investments work on the image of Odessa port and help strengthen the Ukrainian economy. This is a signal for potential investors that investing in our country is beneficial, - Svitlana Iarova noted.

- HHLA CTO is one of the long-standing and reliable partners of Odessa port,” said Ruslan Sakhautdinov, Head of OB SE “ASPU”. - Our cooperation is important in all respects. First of all, cooperation, built on a mutually beneficial basis, is fastened together by the joint implementation of one of the largest projects in the maritime industry of Ukraine - “Quarantine Mole”. The company not only fulfills its investment obligations, but also constantly introduces the latest technologies, including IT-technologies. As a result, the investments made in the development of HHLA CTO are a real contribution to the Ukrainian economy. Expanding the park of the handling equipment, the company increases the intensity of fleet handling and contributes to the growth of the port cargo turnover. Thus, revenues and assignments to the state budget will increase.

Being the leader of the Ukrainian container market, HHLA CTO is constantly increasing the handling of containers and other general cargo. According to Igor Yarovenko, Executive Commercial Director, in the first month of 2020, the team handled 34,023 thousand TEU, which is 25% more than in January 2019.

- The company is constantly developing, technically equipping, and introducing the most advanced technologies. Since February 18, HHLA CTO together with the administration of Odessa port has been providing its customers with a new free of charge service. For a phased transition to electronic document flow, we are implementing a high-tech web portal that provides for the preparation of electronic documents in advance for access into the territory of Odessa port and an acceptance certificate for entering the container to the terminal. Already at this stage, the innovation will optimize the document flow and reduce the time for registration trucks with export and empty containers going to the terminal of HHLA CTO, - Igor Yarovenko said.