Economy Minister says Chinese consortium to be announced as private partner for Anaklia port project

Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Wednesday said China Communications Construction Company Limited would be announced as the Georgian Government’s private partner for the Anaklia port project “in the coming days”.

We have received proposals only from the Chinese consortium. They have submitted a detailed application proposal along with relevant bank guarantees. Therefore, in the coming days, we will declare the Chinese consortium as the winner and begin negotiations on the partnership agreement”, he said.

The Minister said a state company had been established to become a partner in the joint venture responsible for developing and managing the port earmarked for the Black Sea town of Anaklia in the country’s north-west.

Simultaneously, alongside the selection of the private partner, preparations for construction works have been initiated. A state-owned company has been designated as a partner in the joint venture, having been provided with state-owned lands and necessary properties for the port’s development”, Davitashvili said.

Technical conditions for the construction works tender were prepared last year and after the application submission period ended about a month ago, three applications were received. International experts are currently evaluating these construction tender applications and a winning construction company will be announced in a few days to initiate construction work immediately”, he added.

Regarding state funding, the Minister said allocations in the budget were currently in place to finance the project.

The construction works are expected to span several years, with the most active phase anticipated in 2025 and 2026. The state will allocate funds from the state budget accordingly”, he said.

Davitashvili also highlighted the “great importance” of the project, adding it would create job opportunities and marked a “very important stage in Georgia’s economic development”, particularly in strengthening the role of the transport and logistics sector and the Middle Corridor, a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus.

The Minister said the initial launch of the port was expected to handle 600,000 containers, an equivalent to 7,800,000 tonnes, and estimated to cost around $600 million.

The first phase of the port project involves an investment of about $600 million. Depending on the future development of the project, the port will be expanded in different directions to accommodate various types of cargo. The project’s tender conditions allow for the construction of a combined, multimodal port capable of processing various bulk cargo, not just container infrastructure”, Davitashvili said.

The Minister added the Government was in communication with potential partners interested in participating in creating terminal infrastructure. He said he expected to attract “many international companies” once the basic infrastructure was in place.

He also said the Government was also considering establishing a free industrial zone near the port.

In comments on Black Sea ports in Georgia, Davitashvili highlighted their “equal importance” for creating a “competitive environment and promoting competition”. He noted the Anaklia port project aimed to address a “lack of competition” and “high prices” in the maritime sector.

The Minister also expressed support for the expansion and modernisation of the Poti Port, citing the ongoing modernisation and investment projects there. He said discussions were ongoing to select a model for a larger expansion project that he said would “benefit the state and investors”.