The Ukrainian government has launched a concession tender to attract a private investor to operate and develop the Chornomorsk Ferry Terminal at the Port of Chornomorsk in the Odesa region, Ukraine.

The terminal is strategically located along major international trade corridors and, before the war, operated ferry connections with Poti and Batumi in Georgia, Varna in Bulgaria, and Samsun and Istanbul in Turkey. It handled around 1.7 million tonnes of cargo annually, against a total capacity of approximately 4.5 million tonnes.

The concession is intended to restart regular ferry operations and unlock additional routes, potentially including connections with Greece and other Mediterranean countries. The future operator is expected to bring international ferry-sector expertise, establish stable shipping services and improve coordination with Ukrzaliznytsia and cargo shippers. Project preparation has been carried out with support from the EBRD and IFC since 2020. The concession is planned for 35 years, with the investor expected to generate more than US$391 million in budget revenues over the concession term. The model also includes employment commitments, including the preservation of 218 existing jobs, wage indexation and a prohibition on layoffs for the first five years. Ferry operators from Japan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Greece and Denmark have already expressed interest in the tender.

The project was presented to international investors in Gdańsk in June 2026, with the Ministry stating that the concession requires at least US$40 million of investment over the concession period and aims to maintain cargo throughput at around 2 million tonnes annually, with potential for further growth.